Beginnings and endings come at all times in the year. Today is one of those days. Look at the back of your cereal box. Or your Staples Rewards coupons. Or countless other consumer items that have expiration dates. Quite often, the "offer expires on August 31." I've always noticed that.
The end of August this year is also the beginning of Labor Day Weekend, the nominal end of summer. Oh sure, summer does not officially end till the first day of autumn, which is not for a few more weeks. But for all intents and purposes, this is the end of summer. A week from now, our kids will be back in school (woo-hoo! strike up the band!). On Saturday, our first cross country meet of the season -- our small meet at Bowdoin Park -- kicks off that quintessentially fall sport, which rapidly leads us into late fall/winter and the start of the long track journey as well.
So the impending demise of summer, and all these expiration dates, signal the end of one phase. But it is also the signal of new beginnings. Planet Fitness, the local fitness chain, offered its $99 a year plan earlier this week. Why? My guess is because the beginning of the new school year often is viewed as a new beginning for people, kind of a New Year's Resolution vibe several months before Jan. 1. We had our opening staff meeting in Athletics a few days ago at the lovely Cornell Boathouse, replete with all the pomp and big hopes and dreams of a new semester and new academic year. Even after all this time, the start of a new academic year does get me fired up, and the meeting is a good way to light the fire (side note: so, too, is the free food spread that is provided!).
Even though it is going to be more than 90 degrees today, the air conditioners will be blasting and it will most certainly still feel like summer, that warm weather season's expiration date is at hand. See you at Bowdoin Park.
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