Where are all my pumpkin spice girlies? Y’all chill out for a minute, lol.
Hey, Friends! Being an October baby, you’d think I’d embrace fall with open arms. Nope! Even with Arkansas seemingly trying to break records for how many 100-degree days we can have in a row, my love of summer is almost stereotypical. I’m going to keep it real with you. My love of summer boils down to three things:
I don’t have to get up early to make sure my kids are up and ready for school.
It’s daylight for longer.
Watermelon.
Yes. Watermelon is my favorite fruit. I eat it nearly every day when it’s in season. I can’t even imagine how much watermelon I would eat if I had access to some good yellow ones near me. Sheesh!
On a recent trip to the grocery store, my heart fell a little bit. I was headed to get my weekly watermelon when I saw that half the display had been replaced with pumpkins. Not only that, but the display that was there for the watermelons was two-thirds gone! Did this leave me with a lot of hope that whatever watermelon I picked out would be delicious? No. Still, I wasn’t ready to give in to the notion that watermelon season may have come to an end. I looked, thumped, and inspected several from a few different angles before deciding on one.
Question for you, my friends: Are you ignoring the signs that what you want may be out of season?
You know how this story ends. That watermelon was a mushy, discolored mess! Despite there being no signs that goodness was in my future, I stubbornly saw what I wanted to see and hoped for the best.
Actually, there’s more to this story. I went back to the store on another mission. I needed to get supplies to combat back-to-school germs. This time, I noticed the watermelon display had been refreshed, and the pumpkins had their own section. I walked over, hesitantly, and picked one up.
“Please don’t suck,” I said to what I believed to be my best option.
One of the workers laughed as he tucked a stray loc behind his ear. “Did you just talk to that watermelon like it was going to answer you back?!
“Doesn’t have to answer me back,” I said. “As long as it heard me.”
Friends, the watermelon just so happened to be delicious. I’ve been back to the store once more since this happened, but I haven’t pressed my luck. The store is even more decked out in fall decor. Sometimes, you have to know to quit while you’re ahead. I’m ending this season as a winner.
Is this your season? Leave a comment here or on one of my social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn.
Until next Sunday…
-Ash