We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.
September, gasp… where did you come from? It was summer one moment and the next breath, school began. We all knew you were coming, but it still always lands with a shock.
Oh sure, many of you love September. You get to pull out your coveted wool socks and sweaters (oh, I haven’t seen those in months!). Pumpkin spice everything (delicious) appears everywhere. Area harvests are in full swing, as local farmers reap the last of their crops (still picking tomatoes at my house). And canners (like me) stuff it all into jars to enjoy the taste of summer in the dark days of winter.
Hmm, okay. Maybe that kind of sounds like me.
But summer! I love summer! Beach days, lazy mornings, campfires and the conversations around them. I always want more, even while my productivity dwindles. I convince myself it is a good thing, as I trade economy for experiences. And it’s true. But honestly, my routine that was so fluid all summer is ready for a wee bit more structure.
Return to Routines
Routines. The alarm clock! How barbaric. Never mind that I’ve been awake before it rang so far all week. And timetables? How did I get anything done in the summer without them? I actually have appointments and events creeping into my calendar already. It IS good. I swear…
For example, this week school resumed for area youth. My eldest began grade 8, but the smart cookie that she is, she is also taking a grade 9 math class at an area high school. She loves to learn and greedily soaks up knowledge as quick as she can. While she was extremely nervous to start, it has begun. I know she will do a fantastic job, with the added perk that she will have high school credits under her belt before even starting her secondary schooling. I am incredibly proud of her. It wouldn’t happen without the push of school resuming though. If left to her own devices, she would spend all day reading (like that is a bad thing—jealous!). So maybe that September push is a good thing.
For me as well. Hot on the heels of the first school bell ringing, I received an email. Last spring I sent a story to an online magazine and I finally received a response. At first glance, the email was short, so I assumed it was a brief “thanks, but no thanks”, but no. After an apology for the time it took to respond, they asked if they could publish my story. Heck yes! How is that for motivation to get writing again? Where’s my pen and paper? Give me my laptop! It worked for me. And with kids back to school Monday to Friday, and days easing back into a regular routine, I can actually schedule that to happen. Now all I need to do is search the skies and my mind for inspiration.
So while September means that day trips and out-of-town adventures will be less prominent in the weeks to come, it’s all good. I am refreshed after a beautiful summer and ready to offer the best of me to clients in need of a few good words. I can work from anywhere, but admit that sometimes the stability of designated hours spent in my home office just make for better productivity.
We might still be gripped in the middle of a scorching heat wave, but I’m ready to reach for my fuzzy slippers and editorial calendar. What does the future hold? Time to get back to work and see! 
A Writer's Take 