Happy Halfway Day to All!
Boomer Blog - Shirley Scott
Thursday slipped through last week’s lineup with little fanfare. But for me, July 15 has often been more significant than simply the middle day of the seventh month. First and foremost, my Tennessee sister celebrates her birthday on July 15 – whether she wants to or not!
Lesser known, however, is a day of distinction I personally created during my teaching years: Halfway Day. For years, my birthday wishes to my dear sibling followed this pattern of panic: “Happy Birthday! But can you believe summer is already half over!”
During those busy classroom years, the steady erosion of my summer break had me dreading the specter of brand-new deadlines and demands practically before I had completed the old ones. Oh, how I missed the three full months of midyear bliss I experienced during my kidhood. New legislative mandates required us to teach a week or so into June and to report for duty ever earlier in August. As much as I loved teaching, the shortening of my respite from students, nightly lesson planning sessions and paper grading marathons most weekends were indeed the impetus for bemoaning Halfway Day.