But… remember when that used to mean freedom? I vote we say fuck it, Poppets. Not to everything. Not even for long. Just for a day, two at the most.
What was
your favorite thing to do as a summer kid? Think about it. And now think about
when was the last time you let yourself do it? When was the last time you had
the time? Or took the time?
Picnics
were a big deal when I was a kid. McDonald’s was actually running a commercial
one of my childhood summers, and these people grabbed a huge bag of food and
took it to a park. I bought into the advertising dream hook, line and sinker.
Thirty-five years later, I still remember the ad campaign – and I still love
taking a big bag of food down to the park. I’ve moved beyond McDonald’s, but
the concept is the same. David and I – or just me, when I’m alone – will pack a
lunch, grab a blanket and a book, and head down by the river. And these days,
one can never rule out a nap in the shade after lunch. (Lake Padden Park;
Boulevard Park; Fairhaven Park; Cornwall Park; Samish Park…so many to choose
from!)
Water
parks. Another amazing day. Sun block and flip flops and water wings. I
would’ve told you I had outgrown water parks until just a few years ago. I was
juggling two books and had deadlines back to back. The stress was beginning to
take its toll. A friend of mine asked me to join her and two of her other
friends, as the fourth to a local water park. I had an absolute blast. It was
fun; it was peaceful. We laughed so hard. The stress melted away. I certainly
couldn’t work; there was water everywhere. But when I went back to work
the next day, my mind was clearer and I was far more focused. (Birch Bay
Waterslides, in Blaine , WA
I grew up
in a town without a zoo, but my grandparents’ town had one. Now, I recognize
this was the smallest, saddest little zoo you’re ever going to see, but at the
time? At the time, it was nothing short of an African safari. I loved the apes
and the big cats and the elephant could make my day. (Woodland
Park Zoo, Seattle ;
Cougar Mountain
Another
summer draw was the boardwalk. The ocean to one side, fun shops to the other,
and an ice cream cone in my hand. Who can resist, even now? (Fairhaven , WA
The point,
Poppets, is to take a day and revisit a happier, more peaceful time. Whatever
that means to you. Part of what makes this part of the world so wonderful is
that we have access to just about anything we want. If none of these float your
boat, or take you back, do your own thing. Find a way to enjoy yourself, to say
fuck it. Read a book under a tree, wear a fabulous hat, dance in a rainstorm.
Be silly. Be childlike. The world will wait. The stress will still be there
when you’re done, I promise. For now, it’s summer and the adventure awaits…
Until next
month, Poppets, take care of you.
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