Exit of Summer

The unofficial end of summer has arrived, and I, for one, am not sorry to see it go. Usually, the heat gets to me around July and I spend the dog days of summer in a swelter awaiting the first changing of the leaves. This summer was not as hot as some we have experienced, at least not temperature-wise. But, there has been plenty of heat around our nation and the world to make up for the milder temperatures.

It has certainly been a season of unrest. Even Mother Nature has gotten in on the action, expressing herself ferociously as she raged against the Gulf states, reminding us that there are problems and then there are Problems. Politically speaking, we became a nation whose flux turned to aggression and, for me, it was a much-ado-about-nothing scenario. If you want to be mad, you will find a reason to be mad. It is sad that it took a true tragedy to shake us out of our self-absorbed stupor.

For me, this summer has been a whirlwind of discontent mingled with disbelief. So, though I am always ready for the beauty of Fall, this year I am particularly ready for a change. Let’s hope that, with cooler temperatures, come cooler heads. The United States certainly has enough on its plate, internationally. We just don’t need the homespun drama.

Locally, we are entering the beginning of the end, and before we see the end of another summer, things will be well on their way to change. But, for now, we have a season to rest and reflect on what has passed and consider what is just around the corner. Nothing, nothing is as wonderful as autumn in East Tennessee. The leaf forecast is the best in years, and it is promising to be a lovely, cool season. Perhaps we can end 2017 on a more tranquil note. I have high hopes, but I am not betting the Halloween Candy on it. Will it be a tranquil fall? My Magic 8 Ball says Ask Again Later.