Summer Break 2012, May – August 2012, Memorial services to be held by teachers and students daily, for the next nine months all around East Texas. Summer came and left us (as she usually does), abruptly this year. Knowing her has been a rich and rewarding experience. She played hard to get through June, allowing us the rain and cool moisture we had missed the preceding year. As such, we mostly stayed indoors reading (and enjoying our lower energy bills), as well as attending events like Vacation Bible School. In July we she began coming around a bit more but remained somewhat standoff-ish, so we busied ourselves with visiting the Tyler Zoo, or other area outdoor venues, like Lindsey Field or Rose Rudman. Still, we knew she couldn’t stay away indefinitely.
By August, as if sensing that her time was short, her visits became longer, and more intense. We felt her warmth in the stands at the Ball Park, and at the pool. We even tried to put a little distance between us by ducking into local museums, and movie theaters. At the end of the day, we watched the Summer Olympic Games on TV and enjoyed our time with her, all the while, wishing the bliss wouldn’t end so suddenly. But of course it did. The time has come for us all to return to the classroom, some as teachers, some as students, but all with vivid recollections of Summer 2012. Goodbye Vacation. I look forward to meeting your predecessor in 2013.
The Summer Break is survived by the coming of Autumn, the fall football season, post- season Baseball, including the Ranger, (make the sign of the cross here), and the coming of cooler weather. The end of the Spring, Winter and the 2011 School year preceded her in passing.
We here in Tyler are in the middle of Vacation Bible School (VBS), season right now. Churches all over Tyler are either just beginning, or just finishing their summer activities for area children. Summer programs for the kiddos have become culturally ingrained not on only in East Texas but around the country. I remember attending VBS programs as a child, sometimes at churches other than my own. Of course VBS is essentially a week long Sunday school class that runs from about nine in the morning until noon, (depending on the program). Such programs are popular with parents who are always on the lookout for summer activities for their kids. Church programs are great because they’re safe, secure, and the curriculum is of course formative for the student’s faith. They also have the side benefit of allowing parents a few hours of peace and productivity.