Take A Moment
Summer is almost upon us and I can’t help but feel a bit discouraged as it draws near.
Don’t get me wrong; I love many things about the 3rd season of the year, such as: beautiful days and the PTW (Perfect Tanning Weather) that it provides, feeling a tad more carefree than the rest of the year, and the playful atmosphere that envelops NYC for 3 months. Being able to lounge outside and casually enjoy a refreshing breeze while sipping on a cold drink, it’s like a mini vacation from the monotonous and hectic day to day lives we have come accustomed to.
So why would this time of year bring about such a reaction?
Because.
Because I am now entering into my 27th summer and I cannot for the life of me, comprehend where the time has gone. What happened to my youth??? It feels as though it flashed by in mere moments, not over the course of years. I can vividly remember going to summer camp, attending boy/girl parties for the first time, those first days of the school year, and other basically meaningless mundane events that at the time seemed so exciting, yet usually never lived up the expectations I placed upon them. But that is what happens in life. You wake up, do some things, go to sleep, and the routine begins anew. Especially when you are a child and all you care about is toys, candy, cartoons, and sleepovers, time can pass by pretty quickly. Because when you are a kid, you are always looking towards the next thing that you deem a big deal, that you never truly enjoy what is happening at that instant.
It makes me laugh now; because when I was younger, I never contemplated that there would be a finite amount of time that I had to be a child. I loved the way things were going so why would I think about when they would end? The funny thing about it is that that fleeting moment when things take a turn from silly to serious is different for each individual person. I am not any different than anyone else in that regard, but I still feel somewhat cheated. Even though children are meant to be carefree and naïve, maybe if we knew when that personal tipping point would inevitably occur, we would cherish the good times we had to a higher degree. This is in no means a cry to put off growing up or gaining responsibilities because that is simply the way things are, and probably, need to be. But if such a thing were possible, where we would have a cut off date circled in our life calendars, then maybe we would better appreciate our whimsical adolescence.
I may have let those days slip through my fingers, unaware of the transition that was taking place right in front of me, but I can help those who have yet to hit that wall. We all can. Each of us knows a bevy of children, whether they are our own, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc. Have fun with them and act like a kid yourself whenever you can. It may not actually change much in the long run, but who knows? You acting like a kid for a few minutes may actually take your mind to a happier place, and help you regain a small grasp of youthful exuberance.
In addition, make sure you take a few moments to enjoy the fun times that go on throughout your life. Otherwise, you could be having these same thoughts in another 27 years.
Basically, what I am trying to impart on you is something I heard when I was kid, from a pretty cool dude, but never took to heart until recently, “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
