Sunday 15 June 2014

An open letter to Summer...

Dear Summer,

It would be too easy to write the words "go away", because that would really oversimplify my meaning. Please don't take this personally, because you are important, very important in some parts of the world. You fulfil an important biological role, I just don't like you.

There was probably a time when I did like you, even look forward to your arrival. You meant that the (old) Warwick Swimming Pool would be open, that Christmas and all those presents and yummy food were just around the corner, that my birthday wasn't far away either (read: more presents and yummy food), and that soon I would be starting a new grade at school, going up a class in ballet, and that there would be long days of mucking about or reading or whatever.

What changed? I'm honestly not sure. It could be any number of things: the demolition of the old pool and the opening of an indoor, all year round, pool; finding that my favourite bathers had been stolen from the clothes line; deciding that my legs looked better in jeans than in shorts; moving to Brisbane, where it is mostly warm all year round; having to go anywhere in muggy January or February; I stopped caring about how old I was (once I was 22); having to work during December, January, or February; sunburn... sweat... hmmmm...

Now that I have a bubba, I am beginning to enjoy your presence: Jimmy doesn't need to wear as much clothing when it's warm, which means less washing; I get to touch his pudgy, little feet, and see his little legs sticking out of his nappy; nappy changes are less concerning for Jimmy because his bum isn't exposed to the cold; plus we get to take him swimming. On hot days going anywhere can be worrying and problematic because Jimmy has such delicate and sun sensitive skin, and he and whoever is wearing him get all kinds of hot and sweaty...

Please make all summer days like they have been this week: the occasional morning storm, followed by a nice breeze that clears the clouds away; and the temperature is just right as it's warm enough for plants to grow and for swimming but not so hot that I sweat while doing nothing. Three months of days like this, please, because I don't like it when you make it really hot, and when you do, I thinking about chasing Autumn or Spring, but I can't afford that kind of lifestyle, and with a bubba, who will one day need to go to school, it's just impractical.

All the best,
Kamala

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