Photo Credit: Brent Gorwin
When I look back to my childhood, I knew that summer vacation was around the corner when the teachers started rolling in the metal TV stand in front of the classroom. The un-airconditioned room would go dark and then the VCR would start a recording of Cats -- the Broadway musical, always.
It wasn’t Rum Tum Tugger gyrating on the small screen that built the excitement and sense of relief that I could viscerally feel in my mind. Instead, it was the hope that the school year would soon pass and more languid days laid ahead.
As an adult, I’m somehow always disappointed this time of year that working professionals don’t have summer breaks. Some of us lucky ones have occasional “Summer Fridays” when our employers let us sign off early or take the full day off. More frequently than not we’re either called back to our screens or the days are filled with personal errands and obligations.
I have a hope for this summer though -- a vision, really, of a still moment when I can sit down outside, like my half done yard or at a park somewhere. I’d start the time by lighting a candle, take a sip of a cool drink, nibble on a snack and start scribbling away thoughts or doodles. Once I’ve fully nourished my soul and filled that time, I’d blow out the candle to mark the end of the moment. I’d pack up my things, expectant of the next time this ritual can start again.
I hope you can have pockets of time like this throughout your adult summer. I curated what I would take with me to create this moment, and you can use it to make yours or somebody else’s:
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