Balsamic Vinaigrette

This scene was so evocative of childhood summers - bathing suits and sprinklers. This woman was, of course, not running through these sprinklers, but sunbathing at 10 AM on a weekday with lawn sprinklers in the background was both unusual and suggestive - the scene begged for a photo. Soon, sunbathing will be a distant summer memory. Although technically still summer, the collective mindset changes greatly after Labor Day and the start of the school year. The reality of summer's end is further reinforced by cool clear days, a presage to autumn.
I am surprised at how universal the practice off cooling off by running through a sprinkler is - I always assumed that only the desperately poor resorted to this summer heat cooling solution. But in speaking to many people over the years from different social strata and countries, running through sprinklers appears to be a play activity that transends class and nationality. Children will generally eschew concerns regarding image or status. The size of a pool or the particular location of a summer house is not of much concern to a child on summer break. Of course there are exceptions - children who have been raised at an early age to appreciate the "finer things" which frequently translates as snobbery. I find this can be quite disturbing. Children should be taught about quality and not be brought up as classless boors, but one must be careful to not end up with children intolerant of the ordinary - the world is comprised predominantly of ordinary people and ordinary things. Arrogance, snobbery, elitism and one-upmanship are not endearing qualities in children and all should remember that the world is populated with haves and the have-nots, primarily have-nots.
I am reminded of a frightening occurence in a restaurant. A young child was essentially having a temper tantrum. The reason? His preferred salad dressing was not available - balsamic vinaigrette ...