(Note: A version of this column appeared in the June 20, 2011 edition of the UVU Review)
Have you spent the first half of the summer watching a lot of TV? If you nodded yes, slap yourself.
Yes, it’s already mid-June, but it’s not too late. You can change your ways. Start a List.
List making is admittedly not new, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. Until you actually plan out your summer, it’s going to remain a shapeless, ambitionless blob. Like you. So take out a sheet of paper, take a leap of faith in yourself, and decide what the next few months are going to be.
There aren’t any guidelines for making this list. Just do it. You’ll know it’s right if when you finish, a great “Dang right I will!” escapes you lips. I know it did mine.
Here are my top five:
1) Buy a road bike – Financial constraints have led to me to approach commuting the old-fashioned way. In addition to that, there is something about riding downhill on a bike, peddling furiously, wind blowing my hair back, that helps recapture some of my lost youth. Doesn’t hurt the body image either.
2) Find my go-to sno cone shop – A must for any summer, a good sno cone shop can really set the tone. Here’s a helpful hint: coconut flavor won’t stain your shirt.
3) Kiss a girl – This has been on my summer list since I was 13. Summer lovin’, although cliché, is hard to beat. Luckily, I am entering the summer months already attached to a lovely lady, so this one should be a go.
4) Barbeque every weekend – Despite the financial commitment that this entails, I’m dedicated to sizzling steaks and blowing smoke into my neighbor’s yard. There are friends that I neglected in favor of my studies during the bitter winter. What better way to catch up than around a grill?
5) Read the classics – Oliver Twist, Middlemarch, and Ender’s Game top my list, among others. Charles Dickens and George Eliot may be old school and behind on fashion, but they’re excellent company on a picnic.
There you have it. Although some of them may appear silly, I’m taking them very seriously. I won’t be satisfied until I squeeze every last drop out of this summer. Neither should you.
thanks for putting your articles on your blog. you’re a great writer and i love seeing your personality come through. its fun to read the articles and remember what it was like to hang out with you way back when. hope all is well!