Ellipsis: Wouldn't It Be Nice

Tuesday, September 08, 2020

Wouldn't It Be Nice

"Then the trees, after their long silence,

began to talk again, in yellow and red.

And the days began to shrink under one's very eyes."

~Hope Mirrlees

That's how I used to think about autumn. Like the the trees begin to speak again, when mean-spirited, oppressive summer is ready to lie down and sleep, but the weather this year is challenging my ideas. This year, this summer, shows no indication that it's cruelty will be backing down anytime soon. The temperature the last few days has broken records all over the state, and in my little corner of the world as well. The coming week is supposed to be a bit cooler, but not by much, and the state is still experiencing wildfires, which is playing havic with the air quality. Things are better than a couple weeks ago, but it really all depends on which way the wind is blowing.

This was the last unofficial weekend of summer. When I was a kid it was exciting because that meant that school was beginning in a couple days, most years anyway, it was the Wednesday following Labor Day. Everything smelled like new clothes and pencils. There was something about that, that made it all exciting somehow. Maybe it was because it was almost like it was a secret, but at the same time, if was a secret, it was more the worst kept secret in the world! But it was special at the time, and in my memory as well.

Sitting here, with my childhood behind me for too many decades to mention, I find myself lonely for how simple and unafraid I was. We didn't have the wildfires we have today. There was no such thing as whole communities burning to the ground. In effect the entire state of California has been on fire for weeks, that was unheard when I was a kid. We also didn't have to worry about a mentally ill, out of control president, getting us all killed in our sleep. It's all so surreal. Both the natural world, and the world of politics, seem more like some sort of waking nightmare than any kind of possible reality.

I remember the last day, of the last weekend, of the summer of 1978. It was Monday, so of course I watched the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. Well, it was on my portable TV in my room, but I was preoccupied with the week ahead. I was busy choosing my new denim skirt, pink peasant blouse, denim purse, brown boots and brown canvas book bag for first day of school on Wednesday. I was excited and wanted to be sure that's what I wanted to wear. There was a guy, Scott, that I wanted to impress on our first day back. Little did I know I would see him smoking a cigarette, after Home Room the following Thursday, and fall completely out of the crush I had been carrying for most of the summer. Easy Come. Easy Go.

Fast forward...

I wish I wasn't so scared all the time.

I feel like there isn't much more that can be said. At least not in this mean-spirited political season.

I remember having the jitters so bad, that I called KFRC on that Labor Day evening, back in 1978, and requested a song. One of my favorites that always made me smile, and feel happy and safe just by hearing it. Wouldn't It Be Nice, By The Beach Boys. It sure did that night, all those years ago. Wouldn't it be nice if things were still that simple?