I am starting to dread May 4 every year.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the month of May. The weather is usually pretty nice, everything is green and getting greener and I can break out the shorts.
But the incessant “May the 4th be with you” Star Wars jokes just get a little tiresome. Social media was flooded with posts about it last week. I’m sure it was clever the first time. By the 10th time it wasn’t very clever. By the 100th time I was ready to toss my phone in the sewer.
I have a confession to make: I am not a huge “Star Wars” fan. Yes, I saw it in the theater when it came out – I was 14 at the time. Yes, I enjoyed it. But I never bought the toys or went in for the general fandom of the franchise.
So, as I continued to grind though editing graduation photos last week, I wasn’t too focused on “Star Wars.” Instead, I had my focus on other topics.
* The weather. Growing up, I didn’t pay much attention to the weather. Summer was hot and the rest of the year was perfect. Easy. Now I pay attention. And it seems to me this has been a pretty dry spring. April was not wet much at all, and sure, we had some rain last week, but not the day after day of rain we can get. My wife is convinced that everything is a month off, and she might be right. I wonder if we are going to have summer this year that is as dry as the last one?
* Vaccines. I have now had both of my vaccines, and I am thankful. Sore arm, but not much else after the second one. Most of the people I know have gladly gotten the vaccine. But many people still just won’t get one. Look, you don’t want one don’t get one. But know that until we get up to about 80 percent of the population vaccinated, we are at risk and will have to keep safety protocols in place. If you don’t care about COVID-19, how about you get vaccine to keep your older family members safe, or just to be a good citizen? Remember when people cared about being good citizens? If you are worried about local businesses staying open, do them a favor and get the shot.
* Vacation. Yep, I have a vacation coming up and I am more than ready. I had the trip to New Mexico planned for last year, but COVID crushed that trip. Now, two friends and I will be setting off soon on our motorcycles bound for New Mexico. Roswell, N.M., to be exact. I don’t expect to meet an extraterrestrial, but I expect some great food, hilarious times and warm weather. I love a good adventure, and this promises to be one. Much to the chagrin of some of you, I will write all about it when I get back.
* My friends. I have great friends, both near and far. And one thing I have noticed recently is that everyone seems to be getting along better. There are no tense discussions. There are no ranting Facebook posts that draw people into horrible arguments. The anger level generally seems much lower. People can feel it – we have talked about it. It is nice to be able to breathe a little easier and not worry daily about what could happen. It is a great break for all of us.
* Dieting. Yes, dieting. COVID is just an excuse, but I have been eating like a starving man at an all-you-can-eat buffet and I have to stop. I am slowly turning things around, but it is pretty clear this won’t be my best swimsuit season.
OK, time to finish off these graduation photos and pretend that I don’t need a snack. I hope the force is with me on this.
