i’m home this summer. i’m home like i was home back when i was twelve. i’m home for the summer with no plans. i’m home with plans to do everything. i’m home and will work. i’m home and will do nothing.
really, i look forward to summer because all those “everythings” are really just “nothings.” and the past few days have been the start of that wonderful summertime feeling.
yesterday i walked to work in a brick building that kept me very chilly despite the unusually warm days we’re experiencing. i listened to the birds as i went and i must confess, that’s about all that happened. usually i try to remember to at least think about plans for the day so i feel somewhat organized and prepared or if i’m feeling very productive i pray while i walk. but yesterday morning was slow with me deciding not to start my day with a cup of coffee which meant hearing the birds and having it register in my brain that that is what i was hearing was accomplishment enough for 8:30am. my new sandals put pressure on places that my feet haven’t remembered exist for the last six months.
that is summer.
we were busy with odds-n-ends in the evening while the little ones played outdoors. we each made our own dinner, but all sat down and chit-chatted as one ate pasta, another a bagel, another refried beans. unorganized productive evenings that somehow seem organized.
that is summer.
we spontaneously changed into the dreaded shorts and sneakers, pulled our hair back, and grabbed rackets and balls. we drove fifteen minutes, piled out of the van, and started to warm up (or just plain starting to learn how) for the upcoming tennis season. i swung and missed, i batted like it was a baseball bat, i chased after a small yellow round ball, i was hit in the face — but i was being active on a mild evening.
that is summer.
we took off the socks and shoes and walked around the park, listening to the river, and noting the smells that people around us produced (good ‘ole potsdam hippies). we sat down in the grass and talked of summer jobs, vehicles, spending money, money owed, texting and louissa’s annoying phone, and the growing summer “crew” and all the fun we’re going to have. it was quiet, it was relaxing, it was outside.
that is summer.
i woke up ten minutes before i wanted to be downstairs this morning. i grabbed a pair of adidas shorts and an old t-shirt. i quickly brushed my teeth and splashed my face with water. downstairs i pour myself a cup of coffee (so much for weaning myself off!) and make some toast. i don’t look good, i probably don’t smell very nice, but i’m going to be amazingly productive. today is a day at home to clean off our favorite summer room — the pink side porch — and to do some yard work in preparation for a big BBQ at the sinclair house this sunday.
that is summer. everything is nothing and nothing is everything.
