July 28, 2025: The Sneaky Goodbye

Oh my gosh, this bike ride.

As a kid during late summer, my friends and I pedaled our ten-speeds toward Grove Park Elementary. Taped to the glass doors were the class lists for the upcoming fall.

We would crowd around and squint for our names. A good teacher meant high fives. A mean one caused groans. Either way, that annual experience sent a signal…

Summer was winding down.

A mix of both excitement and dread.

Today, those emotions came back again, because for the first time, I felt Summer 2025 slipping away.

Yeah, the days are still warm and the pool remains open. But the sunlight tilts a little differently now, and the shadows creep longer.

Kate just returned to college, and Jake and Sam are getting ready. Halloween decorations are showing up at Costco. What the freak? And deep down, I know what comes next.

My childhood bike is long gone, but I can still feel the handlebars in my hands. Summer can’t be this close to being over.

Not yet.

I’m gonna keep wearing my flip-flops in protest.