Summer on College Campuses

If there were no other reason to be a college professor, and there are MANY other reasons, summer time on college campuses is a great one.

Not that college campuses are stressful (relatively) during the school year. They're really not. They are "bustling" though, for lack of a better word. Sidewalks are generally pretty crowded. Students are ALWAYS on cell phones and not watching where they're going (speaking of...how did folks of my age and older ever make it without a cell phone constantly glued to our ear when we were in college? I got by just fine. Why do these kids have to ALWAYS talk on those infernal contraptions?). Hallways are fairly packed. Professors are normally seen around the office at least once a day. It's hard to find a parking place unless you show up before 9 AM, which is not a problem for my no sleep getting butt. Lines are formed at restaurants. It's hard to get a table outside when the weather is nice. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

The summertime, ohhhhhhhh sweet summertime, is vastly different. There's NO traffic. There're few students around. Professors are seen infrequently, if at all. You can get a table outside whenever you want. You don't have to wait to cross the street because there are almost no cars. Trees are in bloom. Girls don't wear clothes (really, girls wear next to NOTHING these days. I guess it's a style, but I'm not complaining). You can get a parking spot anytime. The list goes on and on.

Summertime on a college campus is reason enough for a career as a college professor and summertime at MSU starts today. No traffic on the way to work. The halls are quiet. Life is good.

Some folks spend their summer working. I almost always have, partially by necessity. The only exception to this was my first (or was it second?) summer up here. I took about 6 weeks off and did NOTHING but work out, sit around the house, run errands, do projects around the house, etc... Man, that was GREAT for about 4 weeks. The problem is that I ran out of projects. I wondered if that is what it's like to be retired. Do you retire, get everything done you had been putting off for years, and then realize that you've got the rest of your life to get a project done every now and then spending the rest of the time bored off your a$$?

I ran out of things to do? I was bored beyond words. So, I decided to go back to work, but there was a problem with that. I couldn't get motivated to go back! I was stuck in a spot where I had nothing to do at home but didn't want to go back to work. It wasn't so fun.

I finally went back to work but had a hard time getting readjusted. I finally did and life as we know it recommenced.

Anyway, summer is here. After a LONG winter in MI, summer is finally here! 3 cheers for summer and a career where you can actually enjoy it!!!!!!