The Summer of My Discontent

Maybe it is the weather.  It’s been a very wet summer that all too often hides the sun behind thunderclouds and rainy skies.

Maybe it is because of our over-scheduled lives, resulting in family members whose paths only cross sporadically in a frantic web of activity.

Maybe it’s the bit of bad luck we’ve had lately.  For instance, one of our cars broke down last month, and is now sitting in our driveway (just sitting!) until our fortunes improve.

Whatever the reason, it’s obvious to me (and to anyone spending more than ten minutes around my family) that this summer my entire household is suffering from an extended Case of the Crankies.

I have to admit, the leader of the pack, the crankiest one of all, Queen Surly herself, is ME.

I’ve been trying to pep talk myself out of it.  It’s not working, except to annoy everyone with my false cheerfulness.  No one is buying it, not even me, which is why I can’t keep the charade going for more than ten minutes at a time.

Yesterday I saw a Facebook meme that read, “Don’t complain about a single thing for 24 hours, and watch your life change.”

All I could think was, “Yeah, like that will ever happen.”  Then I gave a derisive snort and indulged in exaggerated eye rolling.

I’m so cranky I can’t even stand to be around myself — it’s as if I’m trapped in a stuck elevator with someone I hate.  Worst of all, summer is winding down.  Only a few more weeks and the kids will be back to school.  Soon summer will slide right off the calendar and I’ll have wasted the whole season to an extended bad mood.

Yet…I still hope.  The five day weather forecast has nothing but little suns dancing across my computer screen.  My husband assures me there is a plan for getting the car running again.  I’ve resumed my practice of daily exercise in hopes of elevating my serotonin levels.  (By daily, of course, I mean everyday on the days when I have time and when I feel like it.)  I have the rest of August to finally enjoy the summer I dreamed about all winter long.  Three weeks is long enough, isn’t it?

Yes, starting today I’m going to make a determined effort to cram the three months worth of  summertime fun that I meant to have into these remaining three weeks… in-between back-to-school shopping and dental cleanings and visits to the optometrist, and oh, don’t forget the back-to-school doctor check-ups and vaccinations, and the dog still needs to go to the vet, and a million other things that still need to happen, because life goes on, even in the summertime.

Or I could just get over myself.  You know, take my cranky pants off and put my big girl pants on, and quit whining.  Take life as it comes, and find the joy in the everyday moments.  Learn to dance in the rain, and stop pining for the perfect summer experience.

That sounds like great advice…for someone else.  I’m still going to give this whole Unrealistic Expectations thing another try.  It’s never worked out before, but you never know.  This time it could be totally different.

Well, it could.