I saw my good friend Carlyn at the Antique Store yesterday and she told me it was the last day before school started. I asked how this could be and she agreed. Time flies when you are having fun. Southern Illinois University is on a two-week break and then comes Fall Semester. The beginning of the Fall Semester was a keynote time for me during my over 32-year career at Southern. The start of the academic year is a renewal of the marvelous opportunities that our University brings. I could imagine the word ‘Opportunity’ being emblazoned over every entrance to the campus.

I sat and watched my favorite pond that is on campus earlier today. The peaceful colors and serene atmosphere reminded me of how lovely summer is. Life is simply popping up all over and the seeming freedom of want and struggle has gone to another place. We are indeed part of the animal family and with that distinction, we are sensitive to temperature and climate. Summer gives us the freedom of the fear of freezing if we have no shelter. Although we are primarily an industrialized society… not so long ago we were an agrarian society and the hope of food when you are hungry was as close as your hand could reach. In fact in days gone by the coming of fall and then winter was a bit fearful for so many who lacked the proper shelter and clothing.

So it is today. Many of our human families suffer from the lack of the necessities of life. When I was growing up in the 60s my elders would often ruminate that a person could do without air conditioning but that they could not do without heat. Air conditioning was considered a luxury that was enjoyed by the well-endowed financially. Now it has become a necessity of living in many parts of our earth.

Global Warming produces torrential rain…and that has been true in our neck of the woods. We are somewhat like our uncle Nero…fiddle we do while our home burns…