18 July 2023
It seems as though the Fourth of July signals that the summer is half over. However, there is still plenty of time to enjoy all of the activities that make this time of the year special.
Education
School’s out for the summer, but there is still lots that you can learn. The old adage “learn something new every day” is not a bad mantra. There are a number of sites that offer a word of the day. See if you can work it into a conversation (electronic or oral) during the day. Make it a game.
You don’t necessarily need to take up skydiving, but try something even a bit different. Take a different route when you drive home or take your daily walk or run. Rent a movie you would not ordinarily choose. The next time you are at the library, speak with an attendant and explain what you normally read and ask for recommendations about something not in your wheelhouse.
Read a classic like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and then watch the Boris Karloff version, Young Frankenstein, and a contemporary version. Think about each version. Another choice might be Edgar Rice Burrough’s Tarzan. Then watch a Johnny Weissmuller film and the animated version.
R & R
Take a nap. Indulge yourself in a morning to sleep in. Just slow down for several minutes each day.
Unplug from technology for a minimum of an hour. Enjoy the silence.
Find something nostalgic, especially if it reminds you of childhood. Sit on park swings and twist around and release and allow yourself to get dizzy. Pull out your bike, not the stationary one in the closet, and take a jaunt around the neighborhood. Play a game of hopscotch.
Select a park bench, a table at an outdoor cafe, or a seat in the mall and just people watch. Make up stories in your head like, are these two spies in a clandestine meeting?
Practice mindfulness by really observing everything around you from the plants to the people to the scents in the air. Watch the pesky squirrels and chipmunks scamper around. Listen to the sounds of the wind.
Visit with friends and tell stories.
Discover Newness
This is easier than you think. Try something new on the take-out menu. You may not care for it in the end, but now you know. Or when you are out with friends ask if you can have a taste of something you would not have ordered.
Look into community centers or church (even if you don’t want to attend there) for groups that might interest you, like knitting, or book discussion groups, or exercise classes. Go for something non electronic to expand your human side.
When shopping go into a store that you would not buy anything…not your size, not your style, not your age group, not your taste. Just see what is selling and what is not.
Get Mobile
Try one of the local boat cruises. Sometimes they have theme parties or special events.
Try a new sport like paddle boarding.
Sign up for a hot air balloon ride. Scheduling depends, of course, on weather conditions but it is an hour that you will remember for a very long time. No one to go with…try just go solo and then tell your friends what they missed.
There is still plenty of time to get in some summer fun events. Getting out of a rut or beyond your comfort zone will give you some things to consider during the winter months when cabin fever begins.
