Summer has always has been and always will be my favorite season of the year. My fondest memories of my life always come from the summers I have experienced each year. Unfortunately, now that I am older, and terrified to admit it, a young adult who is a year shy of entering the real world, I realized that nothing will ever beat my childhood summers.
Summertime as a kid meant simply one thing, Cape Cod. There is not a summer that has gone by that did not begin with packing up our summer clothes and heading over the Bourne bridge. From that point on Sudbury was in the rear view mirror and rarely seen until the end of August and a new school year began. Bathing suits filled the drawers, and beach towels filled the shelves. Everything about life during these three months each year was easier and simpler.
As a kid, life was carefree with little to worry about. Back then, our snack cabinet, or snack closet to be more exact, was always stalked with hostess products and fruit roll-ups. Today, my dad only eats Paleo and my mom will not buy white bread. Put simply, our beach bods were not a huge concern of ours back in the day. We ate our wonder bread sandwiches and we're just fine. Our days began with the routine of applying sunscreen in the morning after you our bowls of Fruity pebbles were finished. Once the car was loaded with beach essentials, nothing else was on the day's schedule other than spending the whole day in the sun.
Easily amused, we were always occupied with spending the whole day in the ocean and making drippy castles when the tide went out. Routinely, the only thing that got us out of that water was knowing the schedule of the ice cream truck coming twice throughout the day. Having this down to a system, we knew to have one person run to get the money for ice cream while the other ran to get in line. I enjoyed my Tweety Bird ice cream during the first shift and my two-ball-screw-ball during the second visit from the truck.
Today, I find myself worrying about daily tasks, the amount money I'll make, or feeling the competition to secure the best job. Childhood summer worries consisted of being assigned the dreaded task of washing the sand off the boogie boards, and the only competition we felt was who was going to secure the spot of taking the first outdoor shower. Summer evenings consist of entertainment made from sitting around the dinner table or campfire, yet simultaneously consists of scrolling through social media feeds or just being on our phones. Evening entertainment for us as kids meant endless games of Nukem made from a volleyball and tying a rope between two trees, or playing Pickle with a tennis ball and bases that were made from beach towels. Simpler, carefree times.
Although the highlights of my work day consist of spontaneous trips away from my cubicle and to the printer or to make copies, I have learned to value my weekends even more. Weekdays are different at this stage in my life, but nothing changes the fond memories that make up my childhood summers. I can only hope to give my future children the same summers, and even to be able to sneak few bites of their ice cream when they aren't looking.
