“Summer, summer, summertime
It’s time to sit back and unwind…”
Tia SMITH
I remember the first time I heard those lyrics from the iconic Fresh Prince. I mean vaguely remember, of course. I don’t think my brain goes back that far, I’m not sure I know what I did last week. Even though, judging from what I do every day now, it was the same thing I do every night. Take over the worl… sorry, wrong 90’s reference.
But I digress. SummerTime has always been one song that instantly makes you think of summer. Even having been written in the US in a big sprawling city, to me it defined then, and still does today, true summer. I mean, I can already smell baby oil and sunscreen. It brings forth images of cookouts, getting your hair did and putting on your best press. It evokes the actual feeling of the sun on your face and coming together as family and friends. Being together in the same space and enjoying each other. No mask, no 6 feet, no fear of touching… no covid. My, how things have changed.
We are entering the season where gatherings are the norm and we cannot gather. We are entering the season where you re-connect with family and you cannot hug them. And frankly, as it is Bermuda, we are nearing the busy bar season … and they are closed. The new normal, as it were, is a complete 180 from the old normal. And the likelihood is that it will never be the same as it was. Which is harsh. However, even as it won’t be the old normal, it will be a better normal. We are Bermuda and we don’t let anything keep us down. Besides, of course, the occasional hangover. And Portuguese Men of War. Oh, and cockroaches. Oh yeah, and rain. But besides that, WE are Sparta! I mean, Bermuda!
There are so many things that made traditional Bermuda and which will now make our new Bermuda. Getting out of your home/home office is a necessity and ½ a mile is our limit, so many of us are finding trails and roads around us that we never even knew were there. And what’s more traditionally Bermudian than being pokey and peering at people’s houses and into people’s yards during that walk? Many more of us are using grocery delivery services and often are finding that actually, yes we only did need a few things and are even finding that substitutions can be fun and sometimes a bit confusing (like my friend who ordered yeast and got Tesco’s version of marmite). Instead of clubbing on a Friday, we are zoom partying and watching cocktail videos from Ryan Gibbons. I have to say as a plus, the taxi ride home is much quicker. I actually find that I am connecting with friends more now than ever. The beaches are open, the trails are open and everything that makes my home, well, my home is still here.
We have a clear phased opening of Bermuda and when we come out the other side, as we will, this island will be a bit different. We as Bermudians will be a bit different. One thing that will be consistent though, it will still be summer time.
