Rant #1,697: Here Comes Summer

Here comes summer.

Actually, summer came yesterday, but today is the first full day of summer, so I am going to count it today as being the day that summer finally came.

Summer means fun, or supposedly it does.

Right now, my allergies are bothering me, and I am up at 4 a.m. in the morning preparing for a long work day, so summer does not mean fun to me, at least not right now.

Oh, summer will be fun to me eventually, but not right at this moment.

I remember the days of yore, when summer really was fun!

I remember that as a kid, on or about June 29 or so, school was over for the year. I had worked hard, and finally, my toil was over, or at least it was over for two months.

I basically could do what I wanted, and back in those years, schools did not give summer reading assignments, which, personally, I think are over-reaches of their authority.

Like adults, kids need time off to do what they want to do, and each summer when I was a kid, I did plenty of reading on my own--books, comic books, newspapers, magazines--so that I didn't need a supplement to my reading.

Of course, I recognize that today is different, what with the Internet so available, but you know what? I still think kids need a break from studies, just like adults need a break from work, and why not have that break during summer?

I remember that as a kid, I went to Rochdale Village Day Camp, the camp run by the community that I lived in. Just about every kid that I knew went to this camp, and we had a ball during those years.

We went swimming at places of yore, like Walcliff and Casino pools, we went to various amusement parks including Rye Playland, and we even occasionally went to baseball games.

We also spent hours in the various parks in New York City, including Cunningham Park and Alley Pond Park.

We had our annual barbecue, where we were told to bring our own hot dogs, and I remember making sure I knew which were mine among dozens and dozens of franks on the grill.

And, of course, when you are growing up, the summer is the best time, because you are growing up with the opposite sex literally right next to you.

I remember that at Casino Pool, a bunch of us boys discovered a hole in the wall in the dressing room, and we could see a bit into the girls' dressing room. We didn't see much, but it was fun jockeying for position before the place found out and patched it up.

I remember the pickup baseball games, the pickup handball games, the funny things that happened while we were on the camp bus, the bumps we would ride over and hit our heads on the roof of the bus.

I even remember the rainy days, when the camp didn't know what to do with us, and we often stayed in the neighborhood's community center--where the camp was based--and we watched various movies, all to keep us occupied.

But we didn't need movies in the community center. We had nok hockey--which I became good at, but not great at--we had ping pong, pool and well, we had ourselves to hang out with.

And when it came time to eat lunch, we had our mother-made lunches. I had enough baloney and tuna fish and peanut butter sandwiches to fill me up for a lifetime during those years, along with the requisite Hi-C punch in a can, and you can't forget the chips.

And sometimes, we would trade our sandwiches for someone else's, and so we would have a variety of sandwiches from which to choose from.

I remember the counselors. Some were good, some were bad, some were nice, some were nasty. Some were in it for the money, some were building up their resumes.

I just remember that summer really meant fun in those days, and you simply cannot beat summer as a kid, especially a kid who grew up in New York City during the 1960s and early 1970s.

There was just nothing better, and I mean nothing.

Today, all these years later, summer simply means a continuation of fall, winter and spring.

I personally look forward to my summer vacation, although I don't always take my vacation in the summer anymore.

But when I do, I do try to harken back to those days of yore with my family, and yes, I do have lots of fun during my vacation, whenever it comes up during the year.

So, until that time comes, it is work, basically the same old, same old, and I really don't get off the horse during the summer like I used to as a kid.

But at least it is warm.

The warmth of the sun permeates my soul, and at least my soul is into summer, just like it was in days gone by.

Otherwise, summer is what it is as an adult, but I will never forget summer as a kid.

I will repeat: there was nothing better, and I mean nothing.

Heck, got a Spalding and a stickball bat?