High School Haze
With summer on our minds and dreams in our hearts…high school can be a little hazy this time of year. Exams, studying, different schedules, and stress. The hallways don’t look the same and everyone is counting down the days till summer and it can feel almost surreal. I started thinking about this the other day…why do so many of us (including myself) waste our summers? Last summer I remember as the end of August rolled around, I felt this mixture of excitement and anxiety surrounding the idea of school starting again, mainly because I did virtually nothing for the entirety of my roughly three months of freedom. I have made it my mission this year to change that. This is going to be the best summer of my life.
Okay so back to that hazy feeling I mentioned, I think it stems from the fact that we waste so much of our lives in school that the idea of being away from this delightful yet annoying place can sometimes mess with our heads. I think about how I won’t see that cute red head in my English class, I won’t see my Biology teacher who always made me smile, and I won’t see most of the people I would consider my school friends. I want this summer to be unlike any other in the past. I used to let the hours, the days, and the weeks slip through my fingers, not making the most of the time where you can make real change happen (for yourself and others). This summer I plan on getting more involved in activism and volunteer work. Also I want to make a complete health transformation. This is the one time where you are primarily to yourself and I think it is so vital to put these months to good use.
I challenge all of you to take hold of your summers and to not waste them like I have countless times. Go outside, play with your friends, go on an adventure, and swim for hours. Take tons of pictures and keep a diary, actually keep in touch with your school friends and invite them to go places with you. Visit your local farmer’s market, start a garden, make some collages, and read some great books (not just the ones you have to read). You control your own destiny and I just want everyone to be able to have some truly great experiences this year.
Also one of my absolute favorite things about summer is…all the time you have for discovery. One of my (not so guilty) pleasures in finding and watching new movies. I love looking up top ten lists and binge watching some themed marathons. Also I love listening to and embracing new bands. I have a tendency to just stick to my favorite hundred songs and not really branch out from those select few…this time is when you can change all that. Summer is the perfect time to just lay in your room or on your back porch and listen to a full album by an artist or band that you have been interested in. My list for this summer consists of the Cure, Heart, Suzi Quatro, Blondie, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Pick artists that you only know a few songs from or just haven’t taken the time to really listen to and you could find some great tunes that might end up being part of your “Life Soundtrack” (as I like to call it).
All in all, I just want to remind everyone how important summer really is. For most of us teenagers we only have a few summers left before college and I think we all have the potential to have summers that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Also don’t put too much pressure on yourself…this is your time to relax and we all deserve some turtle time. One of my favorite things to do for relaxation is D.I.Ys. They help me wind down and I always get the best feeling when I do crafts really late at night so I can wake up the next day and all the glue is dry and it’s ready to wear.
Enjoy your last couple weeks of school (We’re almost there!) and to help with the transition here are some of my favorite summertime movies that really get me in the mood for sunshine, awkward tan lines, and pool side memories.
Dirty Dancing (1987) dir. Emile Ardolino
Spending the summer in a holiday camp with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor Johnny Castle.
Adventureland (2009) dir. Greg Mottola
In the summer of 1987, a college graduate takes a 'nowhere' job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.
The Endless Summer (1966) dir. Bruce Brown
The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.
Super 8 (2011) dir. J.J. Abrams
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
Dazed and Confused (1993) dir. Richard Linklater
The adventures of incoming high school and junior high students on the last day of school, in May of 1976.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) dir. Amy Heckerling
A group of Southern California high school students are enjoying their most important subjects: sex, drugs and rock n' roll.
Now and Then (1995) dir. Lesli Linka Glatter
Four 12-year-old girls grow up together during an eventful small-town summer in 1970.
The Parent Trap (1998) dir. Nancy Meyers
Identical twins, separated at birth and each raised by one of their biological parents, discover each other for the first time at summer camp and make a plan to bring their wayward parents back together.
American Graffiti (1973) dir. George Lucas
A couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.
My Girl (1991) dir. Howard Zieff
A young girl, on the threshold of her teen years, finds her life turning upside down, when she is accompanied by an unlikely friend.
