There's a poignance about this month, as the first harvests start to come in, local corn begins to appear in the produce section. A primal memory exists within all of us of an old agrarian lifestyle, the natural state of humanity for so many thousands of years since our ancestors first learned about the magic of this life cycle. My family in Trinidad, especially on my father's side, were expert planters, a talent I've inherited, and I feel this connection in my blood when I go out to the Greenbelt, or out beyond the reach of express lanes and big box plazas, or even in my father's garden at home. It's no coincidence that in many Neopagan and Wiccan circles, the first Sabbat holiday in August is called "The First Harvest". August is when you start reaping the benefits of the good seeds sown in colder days.
The last month of summer has always been a special time of the year for me, if only because there is a level of strangeness that happens around now. I've had to bury my grandfather and my childhood pet in August. I got to see the stars over a candle-lit suburb during the 2003 Blackout in August. I've taken memorable trips and had one of my perfect days with my ex in August. The Perseid meteor shower takes place in August, and that's always been special, as the Perseids had once inspired me to write a poem to my ex back in high school, after I'd been in love with her for two years, but one year before she knew about it.
I don't know if it was Paulo Coelho or some other author who had written that men are either hunters or farmers in life. These past seven months, I have become a farmer who's learning to be a hunter, and I have faith in my ability to adapt, but make no mistake, I feel most at home in the fields, my face warm from the sun and my fingers dirty from the soil, feeling a part of something greater than just me. In my romantic life, as well as in my career, as well as in my social life, I would love to feel that way again, even if it's just in increments of fifteen minutes at a time every day.
More than anything, I notice the sun setting earlier in August, and the realization that this lovely season, this warmth, isn't going to last much longer, and I've got to use the days as best as I can. That brings this entry full circle.
If I anything interesting happens, or if the moment calls for it, I will write. Until then, I have a full plate of events, ranging from baseball and a beach cottage to a wedding to a farewell party, the usual routine of work, study, exercise, friends, writing, and keeping an eye out for a beautiful woman who might just make a great candidate for a girlfriend.
Oh, and Rib Fest. Can't forget Rib Fest.
Have a great remainder of the summer, people!
