When I was a young child I thought it a bit peculiar that the school year started in September, while the calendar year—which I considered to be the year proper—began on January 1st. Surely the school year should coincide with the calendar year?
This confusion was originally made all the worse when I was told by my teachers at cheder (Jewish studies classes held after-school in another place) that there were four new years: the Jewish calendar new year of Rosh Hashana (typically in September of October), a Jewish "new year" for trees (Tu b'Shvat, around February or so), the birthday of the Universe (1st Nissan, sometime in Spring), and the secular or calendar new year. But with a year or so of thought it made sense that the school year coincided with the Jewish new year.
This year the Jewish new year is quite late on the secular calendar, the last week in September. Yet next week my University starts back, and my youngest daughter begins are her new secondary school. My son, who is a little older, starts back the following Monday. And so, as this week ends a new school year is about to start, some two weeks after the start of the English Premier League! Summer—which has never really made much of an appearance in London—is now officially over: the new year is starting with a vengeance.
Under normal circumstances going back to work or school after Summer is something of a two-edged sword. On the downside there is the prospect of obligations being enforced, while the upside is a chance to renew friendships and start over with something approaching a clean slate. As a schoolboy, I used to pledge not to deface my textbooks each new school year, a pledge that I was never able to keep (I still possess most of my school books!). As an adult who is a University lecturer, I usually approach each new year with renewed vigour and energy. I am usually excited and energised at the prospect of meeting a new group of students and, in some cases, becoming reacquainted with students with whom I already have an established relationship. However, for personal reasons this has been a dire Summer, full of traumas and disappointments—the least of these being the poor weather—so I am less motivated than is normally the case as we rush headlong towards September.
It would be an exaggeration to say that I am indifferent to the start of the new academic year, and I remain hopeful that reconnecting with colleagues and students will invigorate me. I hope that Spurs' early season performances will have a similar impact (although the 3-0 loss to ManU had the reverse effect). And despite my personal circumstances the world itself has given us plenty to talk about this Summer: as well as the "Arab Spring" and the continuing battles for democracy in the Arab world, there is the ongoing financial "crisis" and the continued prospect of a double dip recession. And with today's news that Steve Jobs no longer feels his health permits his continued full-time efforts at Apple, the world continues to astound and amaze, surprise and delight, and confound and confuse, all in equal measure.
Whatever, your role, your job, your circumstances, I hope we all enjoy the new start that comes with a new year, and the end of Summer is always a new year!
