While you are all excitedly stoking up the barbecues and sloshing on the sun cream, spare a thought for the odd (take odd in any way you choose) person like myself that absolutely hates the summer. In the same way as some people are affected negatively by the nights cutting in and the cold weather, I feel my mood sinking as I smell the scent of freshly mown grass. It could be because it’s now allergy season, and my sinuses are more congested than Next on the first day of a sale, or because I simply can’t tolerate the heat.
I have a tendency towards hermit-like behaviour during the summer months (yes, that probably does explain my colour: the palest foundation that Max Factor can offer leaves me looking as though I’ve had a spray tan) and if I do HAVE to go out, I walk the fine line between wearing few enough clothes to stay cool and indecent exposure! I’m so sensitive to sunlight that I’ve been known to wear sunglasses in the Metrocentre (if you’ve been there, you’ll know where I mean: the upstairs bit between Starbucks and Debenhams), and I’m contemplating a sun hat (cool, but uncool, if you know what I mean).
I also hate the way that fine weather can make people forget their manners. I don’t really want to hear someone’s loud music, played, full volume in house so they can hear it in the garden, and I hate my freshly dried clothes smelling of barbecued food…though the dogs love it!
I haven’t turned into a female Victor Meldrew (What? “You don’t believe it!”) but I’m just S.A.D. Take the Victor Meldrew test here.