by Len Di Gregorio

Created on: June 25, 2008

Summer, also known as the summer solstice, is the time of year when the earth's axis is tilted more towards the sun than at any other time in the year (as opposed to winter, when its axis is tilted the furthest from the sun). And, according to Wikipedia, the term solstice is Latin for the sun (sol) and for its apparent lack of movement in any direction in the sky (sistere). But let's drop the technical jargon and call it "summertime," because summer is the time to relax, kick back and slow down a bit, regardless of your age, occupation or financial position. It's no time to be burdened with its fancy terminology and technical characteristics. It's our default mode, that learned behavior many of us baby boomers were fortunate enough to experience during our youth - something that our parents and their parents didn't necessarily have the opportunity to do. And it's something we certainly don't do enough of as adults, despite this "conditioning."

Summer means to me, enjoying the simple pleasures in life warmer weather, long days and short nights, outdoor barbecues, vacations, swimming pools and hotels with ocean views. It also means less traffic, but more children out and about. It also consists of seemingly endless baseball games on TV, serving as an appropriate backdrop to various indoor activities. And it's all about being more active gardening, hiking, biking, running, walking, swimming, and team sports. And let's not forget those innovative cool summer drinks, when experiencing the great outdoors.

Music also comes to mind, when reflecting on the simplicity and pleasures of this wonderful season. Who doesn't know a great, classic summer song? Most of us are very familiar with such classics as "The Boys of Summer," "California Girls," "See You In September," "Summer of '69," "Soak Up The Sun" and "Ventura Highway," remembering all the lyrics, chords, and the various artists.

This is the time of year when many of us will take our annual vacations, for such memorable destinations as the back yard for two weeks, a luxurious cruise in Europe, or anything in-between.

Many teachers and professors have summers off, making it that much more enticing, and hopefully that much more memorable. Other corporate veterans and business owners may have three, four or five weeks of earned vacation, opting to use most of this precious down time during this season.

So let's take a page out of our youth, and try to enjoy this summer, with no regard to our age, career or finances. We may have to be a bit creative in doing so, but it will be well worth the effort, as the summer solstice (pardon my technical jargon), comes but once a year. And before you can say "splash," it will have passed us by so very quickly, as it seemingly always does.

Learn more about this author, Len Di Gregorio.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.