What's Tony Thinking

Summer’s Over, Autumn’s Here and a Mea Culpa

This coming Sunday, September 22, is the official day for seasonal change from summer to fall, the “Autumnal Equinox.” It is one of the two days of the year when the axis of the earth tilts to the sun in such a way that the amount of daylight and darkness are equal.

But in case you were wondering, that more disruptive change, the end of Daylight Savings Time is still a ways out, not until November 3. After that, dark mornings and much shorter days, at least here in the Pacific Northwest.

Conversations now are spiked with, “How was your summer?” Of courses, for families with kids in school the transition has been underway for several weeks already. In Seattle “back-to-school” has been made bumpier by announced plans for, and protests over, school closures. Parents and families need stability. Too bad the Seattle Schools managers can’t manage that. You could see this budget deficit coming when SPS agreed to the unaffordable demands of the teachers union two years ago.

Even without school closures the transition from summer to fall can be a hard one. Add in the 2024 election and all the attendant craziness and anxiety.

As a working minister, I came to the conclusion that September and May were crazy months. Just accept it. Everything starts up again in September, not just school, but kid’s sports and church programs. Civic calendars get busier and often there’s a push at people’s workplace, now being the time between summer’s end and the impending “holidays,” which “will be here before you know it.” Meanwhile, it’s travel season for many of the folks in a congregation who are my age.

May, on the other hand, is when everything related to the school year begins to wrap up. End of year programs, recitals, Mother’s Day, the official beginning of summer, Memorial Day, etc.

When I began, as a minister, I thought September is the great kick-off, let’s go! time, while May/ June were the crescendo. And that was true when I began. But as the years went by, I mostly gave that up, learning to expect less, not more, in September and May.

Here at the cabin in the Wallowas, it’s time to close up for the year. Draining the pipes, making sure everything that might entice a mouse or squirrel is sealed up and put away. Putting up wire around young trees to protect them from deer and elk who like to use them as scratching posts. Taking down the bird feeders, flags, chimes, etc. Putting away the chairs, tables, hammocks and hoses. Making sure there’s firewood ready for our return next spring. Photo is of the evening sky over Sawtooth Mountain last night here in the Wallowas.

Last week I did a blog on “What J. D. Vance Gets Right About the Economy.” Turned out not to have been great timing to put in a good word for old J. D., what with him doubling down on his lies about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Mea culpa.

I heard from a pastor in northern Ohio, who served a church in a town near Springfield. He wrote:

“I believe that most of the struggle is not caused by the residents but by outsiders attracted because of the words of Trump and his partners. That seems to be what the leaders of the city are saying. One interesting picture was in the newspaper today. It was of a restaurant owned by Haitian immigrants. The restaurant was packed with locals and the owner and staff were too busy to answer questions. I think that expresses the support of the community. Springfield was really struggling and is doing better now because of the influx and those living there seem to recognize that.”

I also took a look at the local paper, The Springfield Sun, which had this to say about Senator Vance in an editorial:

“Sen. Vance’s lie [about immigrants eating pets] is remarkable for a politician in that he not only outright admits to the falsehood, but that he is willing to do it again if it leads to the result he’s looking for.

“We believe his conduct over the past week is unbecoming of a U.S. Senator and violates the public’s trust in the esteemed office. His reckless disregard for truth has endangered members of our community and further undercuts Americans’ faith in government at a time when that faith is already perilously close to depletion.” Amen to that.

I hope the summer to fall transition is going okay for you. Probably a good time to go easy on yourself and on those around you.