A well-used tree – ropes, swings, bird feeders, and nailed-on steps.
A kid crying for his mother because of a fall.
Around the corner, a group of kids laughing with each other.
Smoke and smells roll out of the grills as friends huddle around.
Fireworks shot off randomly – BANG! BANG! Then there is the slow fizzle as they die out.
Music carrying over the houses from the neighborhood pool.
Humming air conditioners from house to house.
Lawn mowers, weed eaters, and leaf blowers.
The buzz of a mosquito right in your ear before you smack yourself
The fading in and out of the hypnotizing sounds of the cicadas.
Discovering Summers Magic
This post began with the tree that caught my eye one morning. It caused me to pause. I took notice of all the possibilities of fun that could be had on the tree. It was enough for me to begin to take notice of what else was going on in the neighborhood. I began to notice all these other things that summer brings with it. The stuff that usually hides in the background. You become numb to it, like if you lived near an airport, the sounds of the airplanes become white noise.
Across the street, as I ate my breakfast before work, a couple of the boys were already out chasing each other around the yard. I thought of how carefree they were. The excitement of having the whole day ahead of them to simply play. Run, dig some holes, jump off swing sets, and get on the ground and get dirty.
There is some freedom as an adult in summer. You really can do what you want when you can get a break from work as opposed to only what your parents allow. But there are no three-month breaks. We have to work hard at being carefree, it doesn’t come naturally to us anymore. The to-do lists mount up causing even more distraction. We have to become more aware of the things I observed above.
As I began collecting these observances about summer, two things happened.
- I began to realize the greatness of summer as an adult.
- The sounds and smells brought me back to my childhood.
Completely coincidental, amid this little project of taking notes of what I heard, saw, smelled, and so on, I picked up a book by Gretchen Rubin, “Life in Five Senses”. The author highlights what I was already finding for myself. As I began to take notice of these small things life is essentially better and more meaningful. The days are more in high definition or 8K, (whatever is the term now).
Summer Homework
Finally, I leave you with a suggestion. Take a walk into the woods, and close your eyes. What do you hear? Smell? What is going on around you? What makes this time more unique than winter?
This doesn’t have to be in the woods, what about in your backyard as you sit there with friends? How is this different from the times you are huddled in the house playing a game?
Maybe you hear something that sends you back to your childhood. Or it sparks an idea you could do next weekend that you haven’t done in a long time, something you forgot you enjoyed. Lastly, maybe it just helps you be more present in that moment.