‘June is Bustin’ Out All Over,’ says the rollicking song from Carousel. June always reminds me of the fleeting of each season. As a lad, I waited for summer break for nine months and when it came there was June in all her glory of endless fun days at Pounds Hollow. Sleeping until noon was an option along with BLTs for breakfast and bicycle rides to Eldorado every day I chose. Shooting my pellet gun and pretending I was Daniel Boone. Staying up past bedtime and even watching a late movie or Joey Bishop. June was a magical month…and then it was gone.

July 4th came, and it was almost time to shop for back-to-school clothes, paper, pencils, and good erasers. We returned to school during the second half of August and the Summer Clock was racing to the conclusion of nirvana. The old folks told me that time flies when you are having fun. So, after the 4th it was a slippery slide. The days seemed to grow shorter as they really were and the grin on Neva J’s face seemed bigger with each passing moment.

There were weekly visits to the Starlite Drive Inn and the special Drive Inn Food. The speaker felt like it was made of iron and we hung it on on car window whereupon you could not shut the window all of the way due to the massive sound device, bugs invaded the inside space of the car. Many entered the Drive Inn through their car trunk and did not emerge until it was almost dark.

Carnivals were attended. Rough-hewn people operated the rides and when you smiled at them they did not smile back. They had seen little kids before. The mystery of the Freak Shows was compelling. How did the headless man eat and speak with no head? What was everyone whistling and calling out about when the man in the pink pants invited adults to come in and watch the exciting show? Cotton Candy was as sweet as sugar. In those days we sometimes won kewpie dolls if we succeded at the skill of shooting the ducks off of their bank with the little tethered guns.

What cruel irony that summer or movies swimming picnics and being my own boss ended in a moment. Soon there would be demands and goals deadlines and pop quizzes.

Christmas was coming…