By Dan Irvin
Well, with Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, it’s summer now.
Not summer calendar-wise. Curiously, that’s not until June 21st. But we all know that summer – conceptually, at least – has begun.
I still see myself at the beginning of summer portrayed as a boy, running in slow motion from the schoolhouse door ridding myself of book-bag – yes, we had something called a book-bag, not a back-pack – as I say, ridding myself of book-bag, shoes, and other accoutrement of not-summer.
There would be no legislation of my time. I could get up when I wanted. Play baseball when I wanted. Ride my bike where and when I wanted. Well, even though none of those freedoms exist anymore, they still bubble to my mind’s surface when thinking about the coming months.
Summers here mean the pools, as opposed to the beaches of other geographies. Our out of town visitors with kids always remark on the awesomeness of Bloomington-Normal’s public swimming holes, how they are water parks, really.
Summers here mean the county fair, then the state fair. They are filled with local fairs and festivals in big towns and small; farmer’s markets and roadside produce stands; picnics and gatherings – both formal and impromptu – in our plentiful and bountiful parks.
Today summer means an internship, in my day it meant de-tasseling.
In my day the primary summer activity for kids – er, only boys actually – was American Legion baseball. I’d run out of time naming all of the sports, camps, summer classes, and the like, on young peoples’ summer itineraries.
Anyway; I’m not sure my family will allow me to practice what I’m about to preach, but, wouldn’t it be nice to take a summer vacation at home this year? Or at least resolve to immerse ourselves in Central Illinois summer for some of June, or July, or August?
C’mon, we deserve it!
Dan Irvin is Secretary of the Board of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, Vice-President of the Bloomington Public Library Foundation Board, and a member of the Heartland Community College Foundation Board.
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