by D. MIKE ANDRICK
photo editor

I remember when I was 11-years old and my only concern during the summer was who was "it" for flashlight tag or whether or not it was going to rain so I could go to the public swimming pool.

Now nine years later, flashlight tag and the swimming pool have been replaced with seven hours of classes, working one job from noon to 6 p.m. and finally finding myself at The Parthenon from 6 p.m. to midnight.

It's so difficult for me to find time off anymore, and when I do, I try to put on some Dean Martin, eat pasta and relax with friends, only to be interrupted by my angry neighbor, who calls Dean "noise" just because it's loud.

I just can't win. Sometimes it seems as if Bananaramma's song "Cruel Summer" is playing in my head as the soundtrack to my life. There is just so much going on: studying for a weekly ecology exam, working retail, spending hours in a dark room processing film and putting up with neighbors who don¹t respect classic Italian-American music.

Now I find myself writing a column for The Parthenon (my first ever) complaining about how rough my life is. Oh... poor me.

When I was in high school, I loved summer. I dreaded going back to school. The hardest work I did during the summer was deliver newspapers for 15 minutes a day. The rest of the time, I rode my mountain bike, took road trips or played "Golden Eye" for Nintendo 64 in my friend's basement.

Now I don't even have time to finish watching "Don¹t be a Menace to South Central While Drinking your Juice in the Hood." I get home at 1 a.m. and the only thing that I can possibly do is sleep.

Is summer supposed to be this busy? I don¹t mind being busy and working, but I just like having free time. For crying out loud, Journey is playing in Columbus in July and I won¹t be able to go because I will be working.

But it is all for the sake of making money and getting hours out of the way so I can get out of school sooner. Then I think of what that holds in store for me. Instead of "Cruel Summer" playing in my head, I hear "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'N Roses.

Anyway, what can I do but roll with the punches? It's a lot of weight on my shoulders and sure, I miss "The Wonder Years" every day on TNN from noon to 1 p.m, but I think it'll be worth it in the long run.

I'm getting needless integrated science hours out of the way and my money roll is getting thicker (because if you have seen "Donnie Brasco," you know that wiseguys don't carry wallets).

All of this is totally irrelevant. My point is, while summer used to be all fun, now it's become more work and less play. When my parents told me "college is the best years of your life," they left this part out. I'm glad they are paying for this and not me.

D. Michael Andrick not only hears songs in his head, but voices too. He can be reached at parthenon@marshall.edu.

OPINION

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Summertime
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Behind the Herd

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