August Already?

I have a confession....when I flipped July over to August on my calendar, I did so with a sense of eagerness, excitement, and relief.  And, it isn't because life is so dull around here that the act of changing the calendar is the most exciting activity of the month.  August is one step closer to fall; one month nearer to cooler air, brilliant blue skies, and gorgeous oranges and blues as they run onto the field of play.  As a Southerner, self-imposed or not, I feel an inordinate amount of pressure to like summer, and quite frankly, it is not my favorite season....it's not even second.  But don't all you belles love sipping sweet tea on the front porch, fanning in the heat, and waving at neighbors as they pass by?  Um, no, not since 1930 and the advent of air conditioning and text messaging. 

Don't get me wrong; I am a life-time-subscription-to-Southern-Living-speaking-with-a-drawl-sweet-tea-drinking-Gulf-Coast-frequenting-flip-flop-loving-Faulkner/Welty/O'Connor-novel-reading-southern-to-the-core as they come, but I'm not a huge fan of summer.  While I love many summer-time activities like catching fireflies, swimming until dark, walking barefoot through the grass, watching my children dance in the sprinklers, traveling to the beach, and eating posicles on the back porch, I don't like languishing in 100+ degree temperatures and 100% humidity.  Not an ideal combination for oily skin and naturally flat hair.  I also find myself lost without the structure that seems to come with fall, winter, and spring. 

There I said it; I like structure; I find comfort in routine, and summer, well, lacks routine.  I get that's the charm of summer, but for me, I find myself not quite knowing how to handle unstructured days.  While I'm by no means a Type-A, I find interruptions in my beautifully planned days to be quite annoying, so imagine my dismay at having no set schedule for three months.  But don't I homeschool?  Yes, but there's a routine there that's usually predictable.  There's also something comforting about having the rest of the world on a schedule, too.  My church even changes to a summer schedule, the one usual hallmark of year-round consistency. 

Even with some routine, summer just seems so unstructured; throw in scorching heat, uncontrollable humidity, a weird drive to be outdoors because it's summer, but it's just so blazing hot I can't bring myself to leave the air conditioned comfort of home, and I find myself planning calendar changing parties for the simple act of switching from July to August. 

While I admit a little spontaneity is nice, like your husband deciding to whisk you away on a beach trip or surprising the kids with a vacation to Disney World, I crave the comfort of consistency.  I know; it's possibly a character flaw, not to like the lazy, relaxed, unscheduled freedom of summer.  Plus, God doesn't call me to stay stuck in a comfort zone.  I'm working on seeing downtime as a blessing and interruptions in a well-planned day as placed in my path by the Holy Spirit to provide an opportunity to serve or to build character, but I'll be the first to admit I have a long way to go, evidenced by my celebratory dance to the kitchen to change the month on August 1st.  And, I cannot be held entirely responsible for the damage that ensues from the breakdancing, side herkying, and backhandspringing that will accompany the switch from August to September.  I can almost hear the Auburn fight song now........