Have you ever stopped what you were doing and looked around you to take it all in? Have you ever listened to the leaves move with the wind or listened to the wind itself? Have you ever looked to the horizon and tried to capture that moment like your mind is taking a picture? Have you ever listened to the sound of water flowing in a river or the crash of waves on a beach or a riverbed? Have you ever listened to the sound of your feet dragging across the sand? Have you really listened and heard?
Have you heard summer?
When I think of summer I picture the family and friends I leave behind to go to school. I think of bonfires and staying up all night. I think about being on the water all day and the sun beating down on my skin. Sometimes I have to stop and listen to my surroundings, and I hear the conversations, the laughter and the craziness.
I absolutely love my friends back home, and that’s pretty much how it’s been most of my life. The fact that I get to see them really boosts my spirits. When my best friend that I call brother comes home from the military in California, I hang out at his home. My friends go there to hangout, and we become family. His home echoes the sounds of summer...the memories we make and the stuff we do are what create the sounds of summer.
Most of the time, after school gets out, I can go home to these sounds of summer. Now that I have started working all week I won’t get that luxury all the time. But I do have friends here so I’m not totally alone all summer. The main thing is that there is always a group of people and a certain amount of things you do that actually defines “summer” as more than just a season.
Some people travel to Gulf Shores, or the east coasts of Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas. Some people go to California and some make their own beach. For there’s something breath-taking about a beach sunset. The sunset where the night is behind you and in front is a splash of purple, pink, orange and yellow. The colors of the sky reflecting off the water and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Then there are those nights where it’s quiet, but there’s a lightning storm out miles offshore and the lightning lights the sky up. You can’t hear it because it’s too far out, but you can imagine it. Then there’s those days where you ride around the town or take a back road while listening to your favorite song. Then the nights where you are reckless and parties are in full swing.
Last summer I decided to stay in the city I’ve called home the last few years and work. It was one of the best decisions I have made. Of course I missed on things back home, but I gained new friendships and had new experiences. This summer I’m working at a different place and don’t get much time off, but when I’m not I’ll be playing beach volleyball or fishing.
We all have hobbies, favorite or ideal vacations spots and whatever it may be, these are what makes our summer enjoyable. These are the sounds of summer. As you go about your summer, stop for a moment and try to take it all in, try to take pictures in your mind and most of all listen. Listen to the sounds of summer.
