Editor's Letter, August/September 2009

Thirty Minutes to Go

"Summertime,
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is high
Your daddy’s rich
And your mamma’s good lookin’
So hush little baby
Don’t you cry."
-George Gershwin, "Summertime"

IT’S 6:30 AM on a monday morning. This magazine needs to be in the printer’s hands in half an hour. It’s a good time to rewrite the editor’s letter.

The original letter, while grammatically and logically sound, was at odds with the early morning sunshine peeping in the back sliding door. The message—that parenting was difficult but the rewards were worth it—was a bit too morose for the day. So I decided to rewrite it. I think this version is much better:

It’s summertime! Enjoy it along with your kids; it’ll be gone before you know it and you’ll wonder where the time went ... again. So go. Go outside. Roll in the grass. Run through the sprinkler. Look for birds. Feed the ducks. Jump in the lake. Jump in the pool. Sing silly songs. Wave at passing motorists. Build a lemonade stand. Buy ice cream with the profits from the lemonade stand. Get an extra scoop of ice cream. Make your own ice cream. Roast marshmallows. Sleep under the stars. Stay up later than usual. Tell stories in a tent. Take a train ride. Visit a ghost town. Go to the zoo and make funny faces at the monkeys. Make funny faces at each other. Make mud pies. Plant a garden. Wear pretty dresses and have an outdoor teddy bear tea party. Plan a pirate raid. Hunt for grass sharks in the backyard. Map out a treasure map. Design a scavenger hunt. Sit still and listen to nothing. Visit that one place you’ve always planned on going but haven’t yet. Be a tourist. Take pictures of strange people. Take pictures of bugs. Imitate your favorite bug. Ride a bike. Ride a surfboard. Go on a fishing boat. Rent a canoe, Rent a paddle boat. Learn to kayak. Visit the mountains. Visit the beach. Visit your neighbors. Go to a concert. Host an impromptu karaoke party. Sing in your best Ethel Merman voice. Laugh. Love.

Whatever you do, we hope you and your family have a fun, wonderful, memorable summer!

Oh, and one more thing ... don’t forget the sunscreen!

Happy Summer Day!

Everard G Strong, Publisher, Editor, and Father
estrong@bakidsmagazine.com