In the distance is the sound of drums and horns. The high school band has begun to practice again behind the football field where young men run and tackle, drilling for the new season. The band’s music is punctuated periodically by the short, sharp whistle of the football coach barking out discouraged words designed to encourage.
Fall is on its way.
The construction that closed streets all summer has suddenly disappeared as the town prepares for the arrival of 40,000 students. The quiet lifts and a fresh spirit of energy descends upon this college town.
The days are shorter, the nights cooler. It is time to begin again. But as we begin, I take a moment to remember a beautiful summer …