Good morning, folks! Thanks for joining us once again.
Today—and every day from now through Sept. 22—it is officially summertime. We’re thankful you’re kicking off the season with us, reading nonsense on this website.
The Summer solstice, June 21, marks the longest day of the year, so the saying goes. After some extensive and labored research however, it appears that today is only 24 hours long, the same as every other day throughout human history. Let me clarify then: it marks the longest duration of daylight all year in the northern hemisphere.
My trusty iPhone says the sun will set at a few minutes after 8 p.m. tonight, give or take a minute or two depending on if you’re in Adair or Russell County. Let’s hope it’s a gradual process though like every other day and doesn’t just disappear from the sky at a certain time. If you’re anywhere else, but still in the northern half of the globe, the time will vary but the duration of sunlight will still be the longest of the year.
This one got me thinking, what day is really the longest of the year? It’s basically a matter of perspective. Einstein said that time is relative, after all, right? I honestly don’t know—we’re shooting from the hip today, so I’ll just present this gut feeling that I once read this paraphrased quote as fact.
I have some work to do today, but I expect it to be pleasant. We’ve all had days that have flown by in what feels like a few hours, while others seem to drag on for months.
For example, I once had to spend three days in Ohio for work, sitting through training about auto insurance and financing. The information presented to us by the most boring man in the state was only barely related to my job at the time, but I still had to be there. The clocks on the wall indicated that I sat in a classroom for about nine hours each day, and was back home about 78 hours after I left Columbia, but this isn’t really true. These three days lasted at least a few weeks each, and I felt much older once I returned home. They were the longest days of 2019 for me, and if you remember anything about what went on that year, you know that’s saying something.
The point—if there is one, to be honest I’m not even sure—is that today doesn’t have to be the longest of the year. Do your best to enjoy it, and it’ll fly right by. If you get stuck doing something boring, it’s liable to drag on forever. (Quick note: a lot of work can make days long, but I think boring days are even longer. At least on days where you have to get a lot done, the time seems to move a little quicker, and you have some sense of accomplishment when it’s over.)
On to weather, courtesy of our trusted intern:
At 7:30 a.m., it’s currently 67 degrees just outside company headquarters in Russell Springs. Intern correspondents in Columbia and Jamestown report thermometer readings of 69 and 66 degrees, respectively. It will get much hotter, with a daytime high reaching the mid-90s. There’s no rain or thunderstorms in the forecast, so take precautions today to keep cool, stay safe, and hopefully remain indoors (or at least in the shade) as much as possible.
Today’s birthday post is dedicated to Jordan Young, my old classmate at Adair County High School who was arguably the funniest person in Adair County circa 2004. Jordan’s celebrating birthday No. 34 today, and he can be seen looking cooler than any of us have ever been in this video, playing lead guitar for his former band, Mona.
Thanks for reading, and check back later for more content headed your way, always from local voices.
