Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for July 31, 2022

Tempus fugit

I have often ruminated on the same thing. Blissfully unaware of the passage of time. Three months after all was about 5% of my then short life. Summer was endless when I was 6 or 7.

Life is like toilet tissue. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes.

It’s also my wife’s Birthday. 84 this year! In good health in all respects.

When it hit August my mother was climbing the walls. I don’t know why since we were exiled to the to the place the other side of the screen door and the secrets of drinking from a hose.

Wax philosophical.

The last week of summer vacation was the worst. There was never enough time to do all the things you thought you were going to do but didn’t.

To think this century is already over a fifth the way over with.

When I was young(er) school started the day after Labor Day. Now it starts next week.

I’ll bet Jimmy read Ray Bradbury when he was younger.

The grandkids start school on Tuesday. Crazy

No it can’t be July 31 already. Seems like we just had Memorial Day last week

“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so” Douglas Adams

When I was a kid, Summer vacation was never a full 3 months… school ended around the middle of June, and began right after Labor Day.

Every June 21st, I remind my friends in New Hampshire that it means every day is getting shorter…

Young Arlo had a dog. I wish they could get one now.

I learned just yesterday that today is the day George Jetson is born. I guess in the sixties the year 2022 seemed a long time away.

Yep – July 31st. Meaning there’s still a long month and a half/two months of he!! left before we get back to humanly-habitable weather……….

(Stupid freakin’ nanny-bot!)

And those Summer Vacations are just fond memories that many of us reminisce over in our retirement…..

Today is also the birth day of George Jetson, but as cartoon fans ya’ll knew that already.

Thank god July is over. It is my least favorite month and this year was worse than usual.

When I was a boy climate change was a hypothesis. There where no indicators, that the rising CO2 level would actually impact my life and that the common sport of skiing in my home area would be moot to know 50 years later – as there’s never enough snow and the ski lifts are dismantled.

Now first people start raising Wine and Kiwi here. And where Wine and Kiwi was common now Bananas and Mangos start to grow. And where Bananas and Mangos grew the desert grows now and the people starve.

I’m not optimistic but I refuse to give up my struggle against the development. There’s nothing better to be done.

Adverts for Back to School sales already appearing in various media. The rest of the world has a school year longer than the 180 days in the US of A. Japan has 220 days and 260 if you are in some clubs like band or orchestra with ½ days on Saturdays. Yeah, making music in Japanese schools is a club function. And their school year starts in April with the blooming of the sakura.

Yep. It’s July 31st. And when I looked at the calendar this morning, I felt just the way Arlo described in the strip.

IMO, this is because children live “In the moment”. They have a number of things to do and are typically content for the majority of the time. While we, as adults, are always looking for something else… the next entertainment, drink, meal, thrill… so we are not living contently, but always waiting on something else… not living in the “moment”. If we as adults find that “moment” we are quickly swept off of it by "our fears and/or feelings of obligation.So here’s to kids “endless summer”! (Clink!)

Eternity is long, lives are short very very short.

Recognize… That was Once Me!

School starts August 10th here.

As the sun dips closer and closer to the horizon and inevitable night releases our shadow to the darkness of a long night. We dwell there for all time. The darkness is but the natural gloaming intended for us all. Neither dread nor joy assuages each end. Find what joy you may have. The clock ticks on and the irony that each of us wind that clock and have but to wait and wait for all time to release us to the knowing as we are known to eternal mercy.

August was always a killer. The last two weeks were like the ultimate Sunday evening depression…

Force us to go longer and longer, bring in new flavor-of-the-month techniques and the kids still don’t perform. Then its our fault. No wonder so many are leaving the profession.

*Happened to me, too. Two plays in a row. In the same eye.