I have always loved the month of June. The sun is typically out and the temperatures are consistently warm in this geographic region. The daylight hours are peaking as we near the summer solstice (June 15th -26th) and summer officially begins June 21st. People tend to spend more time outside gardening, going to ballgames or just taking in a leisurely stroll. Around the neighborhood, families are BBQing, washing cars and the kids are playing in the yards or at the pool. There is somewhat of a buzz of excitement as the school year nears an end and anxious anticipation as summer vacations begin. From the time I was a child, I associate so many good feelings and fond memories to the month of June that it may in fact be my favorite month of the year.
Baseball’s June Swoon – The term June Swoon typically refers to a professional baseball team that starts the season off extremely hot and then cools down come the start of summer. For almost my entire life, I watched the San Francisco Giants experience some type of swoon, not always in June, but at various stages of the season. There were even a few years when they were out of the division race by June. That was until last year, baby! El Gigantes stayed just close enough in the hunt during the regular season to peak at the right time and run the table in the National League playoffs and World Series. To experience the excitement of my home town team becoming World Champions was a boyhood dream come true. I only regret that my dad wasn’t alive to see it as a shared love for the Giants was a strong common bond between us.
June Weddings – Historically, June has always been the most popular month for weddings. That is where the term “June Bride” comes from. The month of June derives its name from Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. It was anciently thought that couples who married in June would be blessed with prosperity and happiness. Yea, right! There haven’t been any studies done that I’m aware of, but my guess is just as many couples end up in divorce court who were married in June as any other month of the year. However, I do love June weddings. Where else can a suburban man take his wife to an elegant show, dinner and dancing all for the cost of a crock pot or wok? I truly don’t mind getting all gussied-up, sitting through a ceremony that would cure a bad case of insomnia just to get to the open bar. What wedding is complete with unrealistic nuptials, bad music and an odd assortment of boorish friends and dysfunctional family members? It’s all good, if the bride’s family didn’t cut-costs on the food. Eating a wedding cake made by Buddy “The Cake Boss” is on my bucket list. Granted, there are usually a few self-indulgent toasts throughout the festivities, but one I get my groove around the dance floor it’s “Party-Time.” My wife loves it when I break out “The Running Man, Mr. Roboto or the Cabbage Patch. MC Hammer’s got nothing on me.
School gets Out in June – As the master showman Alice Cooper once sang, “Schools Out for Summer!” Although in 1972, when that song was number one on Billboard’s chart, Alice was an androgynous, make-up wearing, boa constrictor toting, certifiable creepy guy that scared the snot out of me. Growing up, the last day of school ranked right up there with Christmas and my birthday as far as day’s I loved the most. Our last was typically June 8th which meant three uninterrupted months of blissful chillaxing. Our last day of school was often celebrated with water balloons, milkshakes, doorbell ditch and an over-night sleep out in the backyard with my bestest buddies. Granted, we had things to do, but nothing like the overloaded schedules our kids now keep. No wonder every nine year old in Danville has an iPhone. They need to text their peeps to coordinate carpools and manage their swim/dance/cheer/baseball/soccer/lacrosse schedules.
Father’s Day is in June – Granted Father’s Day is not as grand a celebration as Mother’s Day, but I’m not complaining. While Mother’s day is really an entire weekend of pomp and circumstance filled with expensive dinners, formal brunches, elegant flower arrangements, Hallmark greeting cards, elaborate gifts (preferably jewelry), a lot of pampering, compliments and several hours of alone time, dads do typically get to pick the dinner menu on our special day (assuming it’s approved by our wives). I, myself, am a big fan of the homemade cards, paper-mache office supplies and burnt toast served in bed with a soggy newspaper. All kidding aside, as a child I looked forward to Father’s Day as a way of putting my dad up on a pedestal and letting him know how much I appreciated everything he did for us as a family. Now, as a father, I enjoy this annual day of heartfelt adulation. Being a dad is hard work, and as gratifying as it is Father’s Day is always very enjoyable.
Summer Vacations – It didn’t matter if we were driving cross country (an agonizing form of incarceration and torture as a child) or just heading to the Santa Cruz beach for a few days, summer vacations were the best. Back when driving was an economical alternative to flying, the family vacation road trip was how virtually every family started their summer vacation. Now, when most SUVs get three gallons per mile and there’s a chance we could be paying $6.00 per gallon, air travel seems darn right affordable. As a kid, summer vacations often meant visiting family or friends. My parents apparently enjoyed the Bed and Breakfast ambiance of someone else’s house even if we only went across town. Unfortunately, living in an affluent community often dictates that you vacation in the Hawaiian Islands, the mountains of Jackson Hole, Wyoming or the theme parks of Orlando Florida. Sadly, given the economy, my children may have to settle for the Osage Theme Park of Danville with the exclusive five star camping accommodations of our very own backyard. I hope my HOA allows campfires.
On a side note, National Lampoon’s Family Vacation is a must have for any serious movie collector. Released in June of 1983, this brilliant madcap misadventure chronicles the Griswold family’s cross-country road trip to the Wally World theme park. Suffice it to say, the cross country car trip proves to be much more arduous than the Griswold’s ever anticipated, not unlike my highly anticipated drive-in movie date with the lovely Sandy Besthorn to see the movie when it was first released. Let’s just say that Miss Besthorn was much more interested in the Academy Award worthy acting of Chevy Chase than she was the smooth moves of one, Mike Copeland. Sadly, the virtually obsolete drive-in theaters were functionally terrible, but socially (and romantically) a wonderful summer time diversion.
As we enter June, the coolest month of the year (cool like awesome, not cool like put a jacket on), it’s time to kick-back in our hammocks and soak up the good vibrations (A song released by the Beach Boys in June of 1966). June Swoon’s are something to be embraced; like a cuddly Team Six Navy Seal, not dreaded, like Donald Trump running for President. June is the start of all of the summertime rituals; baseball, weddings, and family vacations to name just a few. Just don’t forget Father’s Day (June 19th), because if Dad’s not happy, it could be a long summer….starting in June.
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