Important Advice About Summer

By Phil Ponce | Published June 22, 2011

I first posted this blog entry last summer and I’m posting it again–largely as a reminder to myself! Here it is:

Some time ago, I had an epiphany about summer. That’s why this may be the most important piece about summer you’ll ever read! Here goes.

Summer in Chicago is the time I live for. It’s when the city is in its full glory. I think about it all winter; it’s my compass point the umpteenth time I am shoveling snow in February. But like all treasures, summer is finite. And quantifiable.

Photograph of gold coins

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine (CC: BY 2.0)

There are 14 weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Just 14 precious weekends. Think of each weekend as a gold coin, because that’s what is, something of value that should be treasured. And once it’s gone, it’s gone. It should be spent wisely and not squandered.

How do you squander a gold coin? There are lots of ways to be a wastrel of summer weekends, but one way of misusing this treasure is to spend it on something you don’t really want to do–a social event you feel obligated to attend, a weekend with people about whom you’re indifferent, or doing something that just doesn’t speak to you. Sounds a little cold-hearted, I know, but parting with a treasure is not to be done lightly.

Use the gold coins on the people you truly care about, on the activities you really love and that are meaningful. Sure, some summer weekends have to be used for chores and drudgery, but that’s all the more reason to spend the balance wisely!

This entry was posted in Phil Ponce, unPHILtered. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.
  • Sue B

    That is a good reminder…wow only 14 weekends! And I’ve squandered a couple already. But I’ll say that I don’t feel that the rest of the year weekends are a loss. There are so many wonderful May or Sept/Oct weekends which are much more pleasant than a 90 degree or rainout weekend in the summer. And the snow weekends can be fun too, if you make the most of them. So what if they’re inside….make hot chocolate and play a game with your friends/family…equally gratifying. I’m a bit tired of Chicagoans complaining about winter..winter can be wonderful and beautiful. If you really hate the winter…then move to Florida!