You'll have to forgive me for not liking summer
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While the majority of the population revel in the summer months, I merely endure them. Much as I'd love to enjoy the season with everyone else, it's not something I'm generally allowed to do. That's not to say I don’t have fun for three months of the year—far from it. It's just that conditions conspire to ensure my enjoyment is tempered with enough inconvenience to make it a challenge. I look forward to them in much the same way a lamppost looks forward to a dog—appreciating the positive aspects of the creature for others but knowing with some degree of certainty which part of the package is most likely coming my way.
For me, the summer months can be summed up by hay fever and sunburn. The latter is easier to deal with. I burn easily, but if I avoid staying in the sun for any length of time, I'm okay. I don't tan. I go red, I get sore, I peel and then I go white again. It's a cycle I'm used to and try to steer clear of as much for the disagreeable aesthetic as for the discomfort of the actual burn stage.
The main thing that makes my summers so unbearable is my hay fever. Hay fever is caused by an allergy to types of airborne pollens—usually those from trees and grasses. There are various symptoms. For me they include sneezing, a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. It's a bit like having a continuous cold for three months of the year where everything looks fuzzy.
Because hay fever is triggered by microscopic airborne particles, it's largely unavoidable. One can minimise its effects by staying indoors with the windows closed—and often that's what I try to do—but there is a catch with this. Hay fever normally manifests when the weather is hot. If you seal yourself in a room when it's already hot, that room is likely to get even hotter. This only adds to the discomfort, so it's a trade off as to which ailment I would rather suffer.
On any given day, the pollen count will peak in the mornings and evenings. These periods coincide with when I normally need to be outside in order to travel to or from work. I'm a sneezing wreck for about an hour after I arrive home in the evening. If you've not tried it, it's brilliant. (Not!)
So, what options does summer give me? Well, if I want to avoid the worst of my hay fever, I have to shut myself indoors where it's too hot. If I want to cool down, I have to go outside where I'll burn if I don't stay in the shade and aggravate my hay fever regardless of where I am. There isn't a happy medium.
I'd love to enjoy the summer months like other people do. I'd love to go outside and have fun. I don't dislike the indoors, but I'd rather not be confined to them in the extreme heat just so that my eyes don't sting and I don't have to worry about sneezing fits. Unfortunately, however, I don't have the luxury. So, forgive me for not liking summer. It sure as hell doesn't like me.