How can you have a memorable summer when it seems like everything is working against that very thing?
Memorial Day weekend showed up earlier this year marking the official beginning of summer and gifting us with a bonus week. That’s right, summer is fourteen weeks long this year. Cool, huh?
So, what’s the first thing you notice about summer? Maybe the longer days? The warmer weather?
Short sleeves and tee shirts have moved to the front of your closet. Shorts are acceptable for almost any occasion.
Dressing up is now as easy as putting on a shirt with a collar.
And jacket required usually means a windbreaker because nights are cooler if you’re at the beach.
Maybe you haven’t even had a chance to think about the change of seasons yet. Maybe life keeps getting in the way like any other time of year.
And let’s get one thing straight from the get-go. Being an adult, having a busy life, responsibilities, and obligations isn’t much of an excuse. We can decide to have a memorable summer, or we can decide that making room for things that matter more is not worth the effort.
We’ve got to give memorable summers room to happen…
… room to take shape.
Sure, many events that help make a memorable summer happen are purely by accident. But here’s the thing—it’s not going to happen if you let your normal routine of working late all the time get in the way.
When I started this post over a week ago, my plan was to write another How to Do Summer Right post. Then, barely through the intro, I thought to myself… This-Is-Lame. There are about a million posts like that already out there on the interwebs. Heck, I’ve written a few of them myself!
So, let’s try something different this time…
Close your eyes for a moment and let your mind wander barefoot through a balmy summer breeze. Take as long as you want… let your thoughts wander through some of your favorite summer memories and experiences.
Hold that thought… Nice, wasn’t it?
Spend some time recalling memorable summers from your past. Find a cool, quiet place and let yourself go deep. This exercise shouldn’t be rushed—many of your best summer memories might be tucked away into the far corners of your memory banks.
Now tell me… where did it take you?
Hanging out with friends? Grilling outdoors? That one precious afternoon in a hammock? A ballgame in the park? The best hotdog you’ve ever tasted?
The goal isn’t to relive your past. I mean, going back to summer camp is out of the question. That would be weird.
The point is this… we usually stumble upon the best moments of summer. They are rarely planned, and never manufactured. Remember that amazing sunset when you weren’t even looking for a sunset? Or that sudden rainstorm that left you soaked and you had a blast?
Even as simple as reading a good book on a beach somewhere could mean you’re doing summer right!
Let your summer tell a story.
Our daily routines can become rinse and repeat for years at a time. Life isn’t meant to be lived that way!
We get consumed by all the go-go-go, more-more-more, now-now-now. Then we miss the opportunity to make time for the most meaningful, engaging, fun, life-giving experiences.
And nothing helps tell a story like a soundtrack
More than any other season, summer demands a soundtrack—stuff that makes you move, drive a little faster, stay out a little later.”
—from a 32 Bar Blues summer catalog
So, start working on your own summer movie soundtrack, mixtape style. That’s the vibe we’re going for here.
For me, there’s something about summer that allows us to take life at a more relaxed pace. To throttle back at least a notch or two.
Here’s my summer challenge for you—
Lose yourself in the laziness of at least one toasty warm summer afternoon. Allow yourself to completely and entirely lose track of time. Experience the stillness. Feel every breeze.
Make it last all afternoon long, and then some.
This is your nudge to get going so you don’t let this summer catch you off guard like many of our crazy busy friends will. This will take some intention, flexibility, and a little planning. But, in the end, it will be well worth it.
You have approximately ninety afternoons over the summer months to make this… no, let this happen. We can even stretch the rules for you enough to allow summer to spill over into September. But only if you must—only if absolutely necessary.
Every summer has moments that are just right… when everything’s in sync.
There’s no explaining them either. We know how they feel when they’re happening, and when they’re gone. Don’t let them slip away this year.
Tell the boss to go get a damn life… you’ll be back in a week (or two). You’ve got a challenge to meet.
In summer, the song sings itself.”
― William Carlos Williams
Relax. Get lost. Take a vacation. Create an adventure. Make it a story to remember.
Be untucked.
p.s. Can’t stand the idea of going to a beach packed with people and screaming kids? September is still a great time for the beach. Yes, you would be getting a pass from this end-of-summer thing… but it still gets the job done. (Later. The job comes later.)
p.p. s. Do you know someone who might like this post? Go ahead and share it with them. They’ll appreciate you for it.
Copyright © 2024 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
Jeff, this is so timely. Because of reading your post, I’m sitting on the front steps at dusk on a cool New England early summer evening. And I’ve decided to just sit. (As soon as I finish this reply!) No more reading. Just listen to the breeze, the thrush warbling and the hummingbirds.
Thank you.
Thank you, Tim… I’m so glad to read your words. We’re doing much the same. I can hear a mourning dove in the distance… one of my favorite sounds on this earth.
I like “stumble upon it…”