The Ding of August

You know that well-worn American adage about the month of August being "slow" because summer is coming to an end?

Or "not much really gets done" because all the (circle one: Executives / Managers /
Decision  Makers / Other) are all on vacation?

Well I wish that were true in my line of work.


It's been a rough week and I feel like my batteries are running low. I mostly write at night, and as I've mentioned before I work in residential leasing by day.

Here in the New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania region, rental traffic may occasionally spike during the winter but the busiest time for apartment leasing generally takes place between late spring and early fall.

There's a rhythm to it that coincides with the cycle of the seasons.

As winter finally starts to loosen it's frozen grip, traffic starts to pick up in March and April as the days get longer and the temperatures rise; before things really start humming in May.

There's a logic to it. Most people prefer to move in the warmer months and the economy generally sees a spike in home sales and construction during the summer as well.

June and July are like a blur, then just about the 1st or 2nd week in August you're cruising along when things suddenly start to gear down.

It's like that moment when you're on a long airplane flight staring off into space when the comforting drone of the engines suddenly changes tone, the plane shifts, your ears pop and you hear that "Ding!" as that little 'Fasten Your Seatbelt' light above your head comes on and the captain's silky-smooth voice comes on the intercom saying, "Ladies and gentlemen were preparing to make our final descent into_______ as you can see we've turned the fasten seat belts light on and we request that you bring your seats into an upright position as we prepare for landing."

One moment the plane cabin is quiet and still and the next you can hear other passengers around you stirring, yawning, looking for their shoes as the stewardesses or stewards make their way down the aisle with their plastic bag policing up napkins, food wrappers, plastic cups and empty cans and bottles.



And suddenly your mind fills with thoughts of connecting flights, baggage pick-up, catching the air-shuttle to the parking lot or train - or the fact that this leg of the journey is nearly over and you'll arrive at your destination soon.

It sneaks up on you. Like the office in August, you can see the change ahead of you.

One day the phone just isn't ringing as much, fewer e-mails appear in the In-Box and people stopping by the office becomes less frequent; it's about this time of year that I start to look out through the blinds of my office at the well-trimmed landscaping and carefully-kept flower beds and wonder:
"Where did the summer go?"

Tonight I don't feel like thinking about Vester Flanagan's madness, or Rush Limbaugh blaming the murder of Allison Parker and Adam Ward on diversity initiatives; or the insanity of Donald Trump being the Republican front-runner.

The sun set before 7:45pm tonight, the evenings are cooler and I'm starting to see some leaves turning.

Like the chime on the airplane I've heard the 'Ding!' of August and I'm leaving a busy work week behind me - next week September arrives and a new cycle will begin.

That's all I'm thinking about tonight.