Contemplations on the End of Summer

It’s sad to contemplate the end of summer, no matter how hot and muggy it has been. Of course, once summer is over this year, my electric bill will drop dramatically down to the usual level. These air conditioners, while wonderful for keeping me cool, are not good for the electric bill.

The end of summer is always a nostalgic time, almost as much so as the end of the year. Kids go back to school, excited to see their friends again, at least those that don’t live in their neighborhoods. Some of them will be shocked at how much stuff they’ve forgotten over the two months or so that they have been away from scholastic endeavors. Some won’t care that much and the ones we all hate, won’t have forgotten much at all. Ok, hate’s a strong word, but they do raise the class average and that can hurt those of us who have memories like sieves.

I think that’s why I find the end of summer so sad. That and the fact that winter can be so cold. If there’s snow, I have to move it from the driveway. Gary won’t use the snow thrower, which is stupid, because, although it is small, it does help a lot. It isn’t that hard to use and it des throw the snow with little effort on the operator’s part.

The end of summer always makes me think of winter. I don’t take cold well. I can handle heat much better than I can cold. That might change as I go through menopause, but so far, it hasn’t. Then again, I haven’t truly hit menopause, but I am very near it.

The end of summer is the time when we have to close our windows and doors to the fresh air, at least in part. Sometimes, the weather allows us to keep our doors and windows open until the end of October, more often, however, we cut ourselves off from the fresh air because of its very coldness. This happens in summer too, now that we have air conditioning. We cut ourselves off from nature as much as we can, which will probably be our undoing. Summer’s end is a sad time for me.

Thinking about that makes me wonder if it’s because I know that the year is ending soon and the passing of summer equals the passing of time. I’m getting older, we all are. I probably wouldn’t be as saddened by the end of summer if I enjoyed winter sports or something like that, but I don’t ski, skate or go sledding. I don’t enjoy being cold. I don’t enjoy being too hot either, but I seem able to handle that better, at least I have in the past. Menopause is changing that somewhat.

Hitting menopause is rather like hitting the end of summer. It can be the start of a completely new season or the end of the fun time. It’s a matter of perspective. You have to be able to spin the changes into something positive. Most humans don’t like change much. The problem is that the world never stops changing and we have no choice but to change with it. The trick is to think about what we don’t like about the changes and spin the contemplations into thinking of ways the change could be good. It’s not an easy trick to master, and it doesn’t happen quickly, but it is doable. Shifting your perspective is hard, but it can be rewarding. I am going to do that with the end of summer. The fall leaves are nature’s way of compensating the world for the cold weather to come. Winter does look pretty when the snow is fresh and I don’t really have to be out in it. Roll with the changes, it’s all we can do. It may even turn out to be fun.