The final days of summer are upon us.

So far, 2020 has been a dark and disturbing year. I fear that the last months will be even worse than what we’ve seen so far. Evil is currently moving around their pieces on the chessboard, and no one seems willing to kick over the table.

My emotions are a bit of a scattershot lately.

On the one hand, my son is about to graduate from college. There will be no cap and gown. No smile filled photos in front of the school’s sign. But, he will have completed years of hard work, and we will celebrate him in the best way we can.

My daughter has chosen not to go back to school this fall. She is not an online learner, and while some of her classes were still going to be held in person because they involved studio time, she (and us) had concerns about the safety of the State as a whole. Who knows what happens in the spring or beyond?

Then there is me—the only one going back to school this year.

A nurse in full PPE administered my first COVID-19 test yesterday. I’m helping with the student check-in process next week, so I had to get one. Next week I’ll get another one to clear me to begin teaching. Then until Thanksgiving, I’ll get two a week alongside everyone else on campus to try and ensure everyone’s safety.

These are strange days we are all living through.

It did feel amazing earlier this week feeling the rush of hope and positivity with the announcement of Kamala Harris as Biden’s running mate. I hadn’t felt that in a long time, so it jump-started a lot of positive things inside of me. Now make sure you are registered to vote and do everything you can to cast your ballot.

But it was a fleeting moment of positivity in a pool of misery that so many keep pouring into with their hate and stupidity. Remember when the phrase “draining the swamp” was all over the place?

I’m positive by nature. I keep looking for the littlest slivers of hope, and they are out there.

Check-in on your friends. It is good for them and great for your soul. Catching up with friends lately has been my saving grace. Even if some of the news we share isn’t great, the conversations are priceless.

While this may seem down and worrisome, I promise you that I’m doing ok. It is just a lot and being housebound since March is wearing on me. Mainly because I know next week this will no longer be the case as I return to my campus. That two sides of a coin where one side is I can’t be too excited about getting back to school while knowing the other side is right there, and I don’t want it to flip.

Fall has always been my favorite season. Perhaps I just need a bottle of bourbon, a campfire, and a chilly night. Maybe I need many of those.

Stay safe. Be well. Don’t be afraid to get into good trouble.