August is Like Ohio

On July 31st I was overcome with great joy because it was Harry Potter's birthday.

That joy was quickly smothered by panic.  Panic that the following day was August 1st.  I hate August.  I seem to hate a lot of things.  But that's because people seem to like to hear about the things I hate, so I continue to write about them.  It's all YOUR fault I have so much hatred.

Anyway.  August.  August is that month of weird limbo.  July is great because it is the midst of summer; it always seems like you have all the time in the world to swim, bask in the sun, and barbecue.  If you are the kind of person to swim and bask and barbecue.  For me, summer was almost always that precious break from school, where I was allowed to read whatever I wanted.  Augusts hits and then BAM! only one month left to do all of those summer things!  Sure, it's still an entire month, but behind every August outing is a sense of urgency.  All of a sudden, the summer check list seems impossibly long and you know you're never going to get it all done before September.

Of course, this feeling stems from the idea that one is going back to school in September, which I am not.  But I always forget that.  It's just so engrained in my psyche.  September = School.  Which is amazing.  I wish I were still going back to school, but I'm also so happy that I don't have to do homework (because I did do my homework every so often).

Honestly?  I'm not actually a huge fan of summer.  June?  Lovely.  July?  Fine.  August?  I'm over it.  August is what stands in between my waning tolerance of heat and sun and that most perfect of seasons: autumn.  By the time August hits, all I want is to wear tights and jackets and scarves, pick apples, and gorge myself on a profane amount of absurdly pumpkin flavored goodies.  August is like Ohio at the end of your family road trip back from Florida.  Yes, the vacation and sun are over, but you're not quite home free.  You have to schlep through a state that does not look that intimidating on the map, but feels like an eternity while driving through it.  And it offers NOTHING.

That's a lie.  There are some good things in Ohio.  You know, Cedar Point and Tony Paco's.  But at this point, you're not looking to enjoy your time in Ohio, you're looking to get back to Michigan.  That's how I feel about August.  Yes, it has some merits, it can still be enjoyed, but really, I just want to get to September.  I don't want to wear sunblock anymore.  I don't want to continue to drive past flat fields and colleges.  I want fall.  I want Michigan.

So close.