Like everything else, this world is picking up speed all the time. This year is already approaching its half-way point. Officially, summertime doesn’t arrive until the twenty-first of June, but on my calendar, anything after school gets out counts as summertime. Life definitely changes gears in the summer. For older folks, especially retired folks, the pace of things becomes even less important than in the busy months. In the warmer, humid weather, it’s tough enough just to keep up with the days of the week and when the trash gets picked up. The younger crowd, however, knows that time is flying and must be seized. August will be here before you know it. They count each day as it slips away and disappears into the crowded haze of the past. I blame air conditioning, microwave ovens, automatic car washes and the Internet for the rush and angst we all put ourselves through in this “wonderful” modern age. Unfortunately, we have grown to expect that everything in our world should happen quickly and with less effort as we careen through life. In spite of ourselves, we admit that’s not how life should be, and then we promptly struggle to squeeze more and more “things” into less time of meaningful living.
In a small Missouri town, back in the 1840s, lived a perfect example of how to make the most of summertime. The fictional hero of this story was a fellow named Sawyer who we all know best as the alter ego of writer Mark Twain (or Samuel Clements, if you prefer.) Tom Sawyer’s outlook on the world was not clouded by things like work or education or responsibility or deep questions of the future. Tom approached life with the assurance that everything would work out for the best. He welcomed every morning as the new opportunity to explore the infinite possibilities of a glorious world laid out before him, and he expected nothing more than the simple, pure-hearted morality of the people around him. Sawyer was possibly a little more creative and imaginative in some of his schemes and dreams than he should have been, but he always came through in the end for his friends, for Aunt Polly and the family, and especially for his sweetheart, Becky Thatcher.
Tom and his carefree lifestyle would probably have a little trouble adjusting to the constraints of the twenty-first century, but he surely would still recognize the hope, adventure and the promise that continues to inspire us in this free land today. Most of all, Tom would still have the outlook and attitude that would always represent the optimism of summertime, and the wonders of life without a care. If you need a well-worn guide to the simple treasures of summer just consult Mr. Sawyer or Mr. Finn or Aunt Polly, or well, you get the idea . . .
