THE MIL & AERO BLOG, 2 Sept. 2014.Labor Day is behind us, vacation's over, the kids are back at school, and the afternoon shadows are getting progressively longer. We all know what this means; it begins the long sprint until Thanksgiving week in the rhythm of the business year.
The beginning of September is a transition in time; it's the end of shorts, barbecues, and bug spray, and the beginning of business suits, trade shows, deadlines, and hectic schedules as a languid summer fades quickly from memory.
I know we'll try to squeeze a few more summertime moments, but those last soft-serve ice cream cones and hot dogs never taste the same as they did back in July. Everyone knows it's time to get serious, and time to get to work.
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I spend time over the last week of August steeling myself for the months ahead, for by mid-September all us will be in the full swing of a busy fall, planning visits to exhibit floors, business meetings, gearing up for the ad selling season.
Most of us won't come up for air again until the third week in November. Then it's a short-but-intense sprint to about the 20th of December when things slow down bit for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
After a short respite, the second of January begins the sprint again -- this one lasting nearly six months until about the third week in June when the school year winds down and we break out the shorts, grills, and bug spray again.
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This annual business rhythm, predictable as it is terrifying, is an important part of our lives. It sets milestones, encourages us to reflect on where we've been, gear-up for furious deadline schedules, and do the best we possibly can. It reminds us that there are many, many more mountains to climb.
So welcome to fall. I know that feeling of lonely despair, but remember, we're all in this together. Watch the leaves turn, shake out that blazer, put away your straw hats and brush off the felt ones. Button that top button, and cinch up that tie.
Here we go again.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
