“Summertime, and the livin’s easy,” sang Sublime front man Brad Nowell in the group’s hit “Summertime.” Nowell died of a heroin overdose in 1996 – a week before the start of June. I can’t say for sure whether he was looking forward to the summer of ’96 or not, but judging by his actions he seems to have examined its prospects and passed. And at the risk of making light of drug addiction, I’ve got to say I can’t blame him. Summertime is boring.
Now don’t get me wrong. The first month of summer is fantastic. Seeing old friends. No schoolwork. Parties. No schoolwork. Road trips. No schoolwork. You get the point. But somewhere around mid-July, that squeaky little voice in your head starts talking-it’s knowledge, and it’s saying, “Feed me! Feed me!” Everyone has it, and the more you try and ignore it, the louder it gets.
If possible schizophrenia doesn’t get you, the maladjusted sleep schedule surely will. The novelty of waking up halfway through the afternoon wears off around the time you start forgetting which day of the week you just slept through half of.
I’m sure that all this talk seems sacrilegious in the eyes of you die-hard summer fans. After all, it’s the one time of year when cares are thrown to the wind. Even for you brave souls taking summer classes, there’s a different feeling to it – a decreased sense of urgency. Plus, with graduation and the prospect of the work force drawing nearer every day, our summer vacations are numbered.
But I say that’s a good thing. It’s summer’s sheer lack of structure that’ll drive you mad. Whether or not you want to admit it, humans rely on structure. Even if the days consist of taking breaks from your summer job at Dairy Queen to smoke pot with your assistant manager, it’s that 15-minute break that you look forward to when you wake up in the morning.
Before you go calling me a cynic, you have to understand this is a realization that some are born understanding, but others may never completely get. Those people are called optimists. They tend to wander through life with the impression that the world is made of chocolate kisses and puppy dog smiles. Do I envy those individuals? Maybe a little, but being fed up with reality does have its perks. If you aren’t at least a little disaffected by the state of the world, then there’s no incentive for you to change things.
For instance, at some point in his life, Abraham Lincoln sat down to his morning bowl of porridge and said to himself, “Gee, I really don’t like all this black people as slaves business.” So, like a true discontent, he declared us all free. Now that’s a feel-good story.
With 46 days of summer break down and 52 to go, it’s early to start the back-to-school countdown. Still, the human brain doesn’t start working overnight. To hit the ground running come fall will require a warm-up period, in which we must all begin the process of spoon-feeding our brains small bits of knowledge. Not too much, mind you-you wouldn’t want to risk a mental overload. But to neglect this responsibility is just as dangerous. There are a few simple things you can do to keep the wheels spinning upstairs, like reading, and staying in touch with current events. But nothing can replace the intellectual stimulation of the classroom, that feeling of pride you get walking down 13th Avenue, backpack in tow, avoiding hobos on the sidewalk. As you pass by, they’re probably thinking, “Damn, those kids looks like they’ve got their act together.”
What I’m trying to say is, I like school. And I miss it. I think you do too, even if you don’t realize it. It gives us all a feeling of importance. Sure, it may not be real importance, in the sense that a doctor or a congressman feels. But sometimes we need to embrace our delusions. Real life is just way too boring most of the time.