Who’s Ready for Summer to End?

by Jon Egan

We have one more calendar month of summer left, officially it ends on September 21st, but already I’m facing my annual KC and The Sunshine Band moment, you know the one, right? You’re flipping through that mind index system trying to remember KC songs and here it comes, yep that’s the one,

“Please don’t go.”
           
Those of you old enough to remember it are going all karaoke on it, right now, “The minute you walk out that door, Please don’t go, don’t Go oooooo o OOOOOO,” and a little smile is crossing your lips, and your hubby or wife is asking why you’re singing that annoying song?

January 1980, 1st number one hit of the year in Australia and right smack in the middle of my first long summer break in what was probably the middle of my adolescent years, and my first year of falling hopelessly in love…

Seven times total, well, eight if you count the time I went to Geraldton for that swim meet, but she was more like a crush than true love!

It was also the summer that I stenciled in big thick black marker on my bright red t-shirt the words, “I’m Available. Call 550 843 to Book Me.” Honestly I did that, and after every soul-punishing, tear-producing, heart-crushing, gut-wrenching break-up I’d throw it on and stroll around town in it.

Didn’t work out very well, never once received a call from my walking billboard, but, it helped ease the pain knowing I was getting back on the bike after suffering for at least eight or ten hours, or, on one occasion, after being dropped by Mira the Russian Super Model… two days of suffering, wondering if my heart would ever stop aching! Thankfully it did and I met Summer Love (Did the Soundtrack from “GREASE” just pop into your head?) number six at the local YMCA Disco Roller Skate Night. 

We fell in love roller-skating to “Magic,” from the Xanadu soundtrack, she was Kira and I was Sonny Malone… That lasted four days till we figured we were polar opposites, she liked old school skates and I was getting into inline and those two could never get along, very much like the modern day snowboarder vs skier.

But I digress, I wanted to talk about what the end of summer feels like for you, and I ended up wandering down memory lane, funny how we have the ability to bounce around like that, or is it more the inability to stay focused on one track? That’s probably it for me because if you could Google Map my mind it’d for sure look like the Los Angeles downtown interchange!

So Summer's end. I’m really torn about it for a few reasons:

The last few weeks have been punishingly hot, but I’m not sure I’m ready for falling leaves just yet.

Even though baseball is America’s sport, I’m ready for some football.

I do love a good BBQ, but there’s nothing like a good old beef stew simmering away in the crock-pot all day.

I did manage to get some writing done, but for me, I like being snuggled up in my office writing when it’s too cold outside. I just feel more productive in colder weather.

I got a few home projects done, but due to various injuries sustained during said activities I could use a few more weeks of project time.

My biggest pro for the end of summer though, would have to be that it’s just that much closer to the Swagger Reunion, Part 3.

So how do you feel about the end of summer?