What a difference a year makes

When it comes to seasons past our memories tend to be short and blurred.

The summers in a lifetime are almost indistinguishable from one another.

One summer can’t be remembered from another during a long life, except for seminal moments, life changing occurrences or a popular song or two associated with that delightful moment in the past that somehow always seems to resonate – and to take us back.

The summer of 1969 and the moon landing represents for many of us who recall that season and year a moment frozen in time – a moment during a season that remains unforgettable.

Some of us feel cheated by summers that somehow go awry.

Last summer was such a season.

Some of us haven’t forgotten how bad the weather treated us last summer.

This time last year we were entering our third week of June rain.

The rain continued well into July.

It wasn’t until the second week of July that the rains finally disappeared and the sun came out to shine.

But by then, it was simply too late for those of us who slip and slide through the New England winter awaiting the spring and the full summer, which is always so short and fleeting a time.

No summer until the middle of July last year was a major downer, something altogether unforgettable during this season of summer and early warmth.

The weekend weather was fabulous.

Dramatic heat followed by a soothing night and a breeze off the sea.

Even Sunday’s humidity and stifling heat was made easier to take by the evening cool-off and a return to air that was not so heavy and thick.

How the remainder of the summer upon us will be is anyone’s guess.

We cannot really know what a summer holds for us until the summer has passed.

It is a bit like history and the way it acts.

That is to say, history often repeats itself.

History can be idiosyncratic.

Summers can be filled with rain as it was last year.

Or the summer can be washed in sunlight, heat and long days spent at the beach.

We all know which one we will take over the other but it remains anyone’s guess how a New England summer plays itself out.

Bottom line: we won’t know about the history of this summer until we come to the end of it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.