31 Days Until Summer

About two months ago, I wrote a blog post chronicling how many days of school we have left until Summer Vacation. I was writing at the end of the third quarter, and having just started hearing kids talk about their plans for the coming season, I got overwhelmed with excitement and maybe got a tad ahead of myself. But now, with THIRTY ONE DAYS (including weekends and holidays) UNTIL SUMMER VACATION, I think I can safely say that we are on the cusp of our annual freedom. What bothers me, however, is how little the teachers seem to be talking about the end of the year. I have a theory that maybe, if we brought it to their attention more, they will not want to assign as much homework because they will figure Hey, the kids are too distracted by what is coming up, why assign them this term paper? Why have them go online and learn these conjugations? Why ask them to lug this text book home when I know they just won’t?

I know this is wishful thinking, but I seriously hope the amount of homework being assigned starts to trickle away until we have nothing left to do and nothing to distract us from the sun, the sand, the surf. See, look what has happened to me? At the beginning of the year, I took careful consideration into every sentence that went into my blog post because, even if nobody ever reads it or ever cares about what I have to say, it was out in cyberspace for the world to undress with its eyes. But now, thirty-one days away from the best part of the year, I can’t even program my brain into thinking about a productive blog post. That is why this one revolves around the zen-ness of summertime.

Last summer was awesome: I honestly have no complaints, except that I had to spend the first two weeks of it in Memphis with my Dad and my siblings. But even then, his condo had an amazing pool! I did nothing all day but hangout with my friends, usually taking road trips to some place sunny, putting on maybe too much tanning oil, and baking under the rays. What happens to those tans anyways? It has been sunny (albeit a bit chilly) for weeks now, but I don’t see a golden tan anywhere. Sure, there are a few faux-bakes caked onto those people going to prom this weekend, but most of us are pale, with slight hints of color on random places, like the tops of our shoulders or the undersides of our arms.

I can’t wait for thirty-one days to be one day. I can’t wait to go outside, drop my book bag, and run away from it. I don’t want to ever have to bother with taking notes, doing extra credit, frowning at progress reports and freaking out over deadlines. I can’t wait for this to all END.

But then I think of it ending, and I think of all the note-taking and freak-outs that await me at college. And then my mind wanders to the deadlines and evaluations that are awaiting me at whatever job I choose to take. Maybe I can drop out now, and marry rich?