Swanson Traylor
Jacksonville Daily Progress
JACKSONVILLE —
Editor’s note: Swanson Traylor just completed the sixth grade at Nichols Intermediate School. His columns will begin to appear the first and third Sundays of each month on the Opinion page. If you would like to contact Swanson, please send an e-mail to editor@jacksonvilleprogress.com, and we will be sure he receives your message.
The splashing and laughter, hot dogs and burgers—summertime is hard to beat.
Summer, the hot season.
Seasons are something we connect with, something we can relate to: we all have a favorite season.
As I said before, summer is hard to beat.
Kids are out of school, we get to do whatever we want. It’s like heaven.
Staying up late with so much extra time, swimming at my sister’s, and you can’t beat tubing with Uncle Rick at Lake Limestone, or watching the fireworks at our own Lake J’ville at uncle Randy’s.
No structure.
Just enjoying the summer.
But, summer isn’t the only good season.
The crisp fall air is unforgettable. Fall is my favorite season.
Football, bonfires, the smell of burning leaves, and cobblers are always baking.
The only downside is dragging myself out of bed to go to school, but eventually I even get used to that.
Fall has always had a connection with food in my family (cobbler, apple pie, chili).
Actually most things do revolve around food on both sides of my family.
Mawmaw’s “famous” dinners, Uncle Cookie’s Serious Texas Barbecue (which he started in a tent!).
Our traditional October hayride and bonfire party and then the Thanksgiving dinner marathons from house to house.
But the real fun starts when it gets even colder.
Secretly making up excuses for Christmas shopping, still more cooking, the air is buzzing with excitement!
We all draw names to see who gets a gift for what person.
For some reason, I always draw my little brother, Joe (it’s either jinxed or rigged).
Christmas morning, when it finally arrives, is the most insane, wild, and crazy day ever.
Little strips of wrapping paper everywhere, shouts of delight, all of the latest “manly adventure” stories that are inevitable, our traditional Christmas breakfast; there is so much commotion for such a little house.
All the while, it is freezing outside!
After Christmas, we have so many birthdays in January (mine included).
We actually have a birthday every other day for weeks.
And then, after all of the excitement of winter subsides, spring arrives.
In just a matter of what seems like only a few days, everything bursts back into life.
The leaves grow and become lush and green.
Spring has to be one of the most cheerful seasons. Not too cold, not too hot, the perfect time for older brothers to come play football and basketball.
Spring seems different from the other seasons. It is infectious – everyone seems happier.
The difference from winter to spring makes me wonder what it would be like in Florida or California where the seasons are always balanced, and there is no change.
I wouldn’t be able to stand it, I’d get bored, and I would greatly miss the wonder that the seasonal changes bring.
When it is hot, like now, we want it to be cold. When it’s cold, we want it to be sunny.
Just enjoy whatever season while it’s here.
After all, it will come back around …
