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By Scott Mims | Community Columnist

Having grown up in Alabama, I am no stranger to summers in the South. And, most of them feel like one long heatwave.

Hot, humid summers with multiple days in the triple digits are nothing new. I vividly remember my parents hung an outdoor thermometer on the brick wall near the side door of the house with a long, red needle pointing to the current temperature. I believe it had Yosemite Sam and a couple of other cartoon characters on it — and in the summer months, the red needle hovered above the “100” for multiple days.
But, children are resilient, and back then the heat did not bother me a bit. I also think a certain amount of pride comes with growing up in the deep south; in a way getting used to the heat toughens us up. These days, however, the over-40 version of me would be lying if I said the extreme heat and humidity did not get under my skin.
Fall is by far my favorite of the seasons. Some people equate the beginning of football season with the “unofficial” beginning of fall, but as I look at the forecast and see multiple days in the 90s, I realize that we are not out of the woods just yet. Thankfully, the humidity is starting to drop — and that is a welcome change.
I have come to think of fall as a new beginning, which brings me to my point. This fall, take some time to sort out your priorities. I am challenging myself to do this as I write this column. If there is a bad habit you would like to exchange for a healthy habit, take seven days and commit to making this change as deliberately as possible. If you struggle to do so, find someone to hold you accountable. Hopefully, once a pattern is established, you will find yourself doing it without thinking.
Also, as football season is now underway, be sure to support our local schools by attending as many games as possible. I pray that everyone has a safe and fantastic fall.