Alas, the Summer Fades Away

Well, it has begun. The annual draining of the pool. We have a small 12 foot by 3 foot pool, that we set-up in the backyard each year. Usually it is just my wife and kids that use it. I figure if I would be seen outside without a shirt on, someone might harpoon me. Anyway, this signifies the official end of summer and I for one, have mixed feelings about its departure.

It's not like I dislike summer, it's just that I no longer have the same feelings about it. When I was younger, I would look forward to the last day of school with steely anticipation. Once that bell rung, summer had officially begun. My days would be spent down at the pool with all my friends and my nights would be spent looking forward to the next day.

As I grew older (about age 14), I spent less and less time at the pool and more of my time working. When I did have a free day, my friend and I would walk to theater and see a movie. Soon, even that would fade away to just a memory and the days of summer would become just that...days. I would go to work and go to school ( I went to school during the summer, so I could graduate early); thus the days would pass.

These days, I enjoy watching my kids have fun during the summer. They look forward to it and just hate to see it end. I really hope that they take after my wife and never lose their child-like love of summer.

It's been just about 12 hours now and the pool should be just about empty. As the pool gets dried-off and stored in its box so too, is summer placed in storage for yet another year.