Viewpoint – Summer is the overhyped sweaty armpit of all seasons

RABBIA MOLAI
managing editor
rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu

Rabbia Molai - managing editor NE campus / The Collegian
Rabbia Molai – managing editor NE campus / The Collegian

Every year as the spring comes to an end, we’re force-fed this narrative that the greatest time of the year is finally upon us. Summer is presented as a never-ending opportunity for late-night memories, popsicles and beach days. 

It’s all lies.

Summer has been shoved down our throats since grade school. Back then, it was the greatest time because we didn’t have to go to school, our parents would let us run wild with our friends and, most importantly, we were too young to know about all the problems in the world. Let’s not kid ourselves, people: Summer is the sweaty overhyped armpit of all the seasons. 

I mean, think about it. First of all, we’re in Texas. We don’t get the luxury of cute hot weather. It’s 95 degrees at 10 p.m., not to mention the humidity. I don’t know about y’all, but I don’t particularly enjoy feeling the weight of the atmosphere every time I step outside. 

On top of that, we also have to deal with ungodly amounts of mosquitos, and of course the constant companionship of screaming cicadas. 

Some things about summer I can admit are nice, like summer fruits. I mean, watermelon is the absolute boss of fruits. However, that does not make up for the disappointment that comes from not getting a “The Summer I Turned Pretty” type of experience.

There’s just too much pressure during the summertime. It’s like you‘ll waste the whole thing if you don’t do something extraordinary every single day. If you’re anything like me, your summer was probably spent shoving as many extra hours in your seasonal job as possible to save up for the fall. 

Also, no one ever seems to talk about summer allergies. You always hear about them in the spring, but I would argue summer allergies can be worse. Not only is your nose running like a continuous faucet, you’re also sweating profusely while constantly wiping at it which, of course, makes it start chafing.

I know a lot of these issues could easily be solved by living in a different place. For example, if you live near a beach, I can absolutely see summer being the best time of year. Living in DFW though, we don’t get the beautiful ocean views. Instead, we get the lovely view of charred grass.

Before anyone criticizes me and says that we have lakes and rivers, I think we can all agree that it’s not really the same thing. I mean, a clear blue ocean and a musty brown lake can’t really be qualified as equals. Sure, you can still enjoy the lake, but you also run the risk of leaving with some weird disease.

So while those in coastal areas enjoy their heat waves and summer days, I’ll be here prematurely putting out Halloween decorations, sipping hot chocolate and preparing for the actual best season of all time. Fall is almost here, ladies and gentlemen, and I, for one, am ready to welcome it.