Of Community Days and Midsummer

In a few days, it will be Midsummer, also known as the Summer Solstice.  I've already celebrated it within a community of people recently on the 16th.  The 16th was also the Community Day of a local town of which I am a member of their EMS organization.  My hometown also recently had their Community Day.  There is something about summer that makes us celebrate in happiness.  Is it that now we have come to a time of the year in which we can openly celebrate outside without worry of the cold?  Maybe all this sunlight banishes all the cabin fever some of us are likely to experience.  I know a lot of school kids celebrate with almost religious fever one thing this time of year.  School is out for the summer.

When I was younger, I used to hate the summer.  I prefered the winter, being myself a winter child.  I never felt cheated having my birthday in winter either.  I just saw it as getting presents two days in rapid succession, the 13th of December on my birthday and the 25th on Christmas (and yes, I am quite aware that my birthday is technically in the fall, but I always felt more associated with winter).  I also got to see my friends, whom, during the summer, were to busy with vacations and hanging out with kids who were, let's face it, much cooler than I.  Summer was also the time of year that my archnemesis came out, the bees and wasps!  Yes, I am a apiphobic or a melissophobic, depending on what term you are more familiar with, since they are basically the same.

However, as I grew older, and I embraced my connections with the natural world, I grew more appreciative of the summer.  I also noticed that embracing the summer also lead me to embrace a more open and friendly me.  I was always friendly, mind you, but I was always closed off, philosophical, and withdrawn in my thoughts to fully know others unless they broke through my defenses.  So, much like embracing the summertime, I embraced my "shadow of light" who was a more outgoing version of myself. 

Although I am still scared shitless of bees and wasps... oh well... one thing at a time I guess.  At least after a small life-changing experience, I don't run in fear anymore, just a brisk walk in the opposite direction lol :P