As an out-of-state student, the most jarring thing I've learned in my time in Madison is that the state of Wisconsin only has two seasons: winter and summer. In a good year, there might be one week in which it is clearly spring or autumn. So it's no wonder that a malaise always seems to creep over Madison around this time every year.
As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, we suddenly look up and realize that midterms and winter are on their way. Look in the eyes of every partier on Langdon Street, every barfly on State Street, and every procrastinator basking in the glory of Bascom Hill, and you'll see the soul of a young adult who knows that the end of the party is near.
But if we are to fall prey to this funk, let's take these moments to appreciate this time of year; our late summer, quasi-autumn. Take the time to enjoy summer pleasures for the last time and to enjoy the special joys that are unique to this very brief part of the year. Wear your flip-flops to the library and study barefoot once you get there. Hang out on your porch and if you don't have one, be a burden on a friend who does. Enjoy the fact that this is the one time of year when you can take long meditative walks along Lake Mendota without freezing to death or sweating embarrassingly profusely.
My favorite way to celebrate these precious days is go to the farmers' market on Saturdays. No one wants to wake up on Saturday mornings, but you really should. I don't mean to go all Norman Rockwell on you, but when you walk by the capital on a beautiful Saturday morning and see small children running past flower stands with butterflies hovering all around, you're seeing the very best this town has to offer.
And then, of course, there's the food. I frequently buy havarti from the Forgotten Valley cheese stand, hickory nuts to send to my mother and other miscellany. But my visits to the market are primarily for the meals I cook on Sunday nights for whichever of my friends are interested. Even when we all need to be in the library or I have an \off night"" in the kitchen, no one complains that they aren't hunting and gathering at Qdoba and Potbelly's. And even if we spend the whole time airing out minor grievances or exchanging dirty jokes, it feels good to sit with people I love and have a home-cooked meal.
There are a million ways to enjoy this time of year and it's important that we do. Whether the farmers' market or the football team is more to your fancy, this is a special time but very short. This season is the gatekeeper to winter, and the way we treat these days can set the tone for the whole year. So as the annual malaise begins to rear its ugly head, stand tall. Don't cave in to winter the first time you have to wear long sleeves. Be strong. And as you do, I look forward to seeing your bare feet in the library.
amosap@hotmail.com.
