Summer Series Part 2: Lessons Learned

this summer has been quite different than any previous summer. for one, i knew going in that i wasn't going to go out for a summer job becuase i had expected to get an internship. well, that ended up never happening, and by the time summer arrived, i was too late on the job market (believe me, i've tried getting summer jobs in this town...it sucks). this was also my first summer taking summer school. although, i wonder how much "online astronomy" can count as an actual class. basically, i would sit at the computer and take quizzes. occasionally i would have to look in the book for the answer. it was kind of a joke, but what more could i expect from such a class? needless to say, i got it done and with it earned myself 3 more units towards graduation, which is only one year away. that fact alone made this summer different in the fact that this is basically my last summer vacation. at this time next year i wont have school to look forward to. i'll be out in the real world. does that scare me? sort of. but it also excites me. im sure we've all dreamt of this day as a kid...the day of no more school. well, that is going to become reality for me in now under 300 days. so with all this free time this summer, i decided i'd go and learn some valuable life lessons. i learned quite a bit over these 2 1/2 months, but these two perhaps are the most important.

LIFE LESSON #1 - "Time waits for no man"
i decided that i didn't really want anything to tax my time this summer as i know once school starts, time is going to be a much treasured thing that i will wish i had more of. doesnt that always seem to be the case? we want more time. we never seem to be satisfied with the amount of time we're given each day, and yet, it never changes. every person living on the planet has the exact same 24 hours in a day to do as they choose. i love hearing people say "i'd love to do ________, if only I had the time". i'd love to learn guitar. i'd love to be a better photographer. i'd love to shoot more movies. if only i had the time. the truth of the matter is, i HAVE the time to do all of those things, but instead, stupid, less important things get in the way. i am rather ashamed to say that the other day i absolutely vegged out. all day spent either on the computer or infront of the television. what did i accomplish? nothing. so why did i even bother waking up? wouldnt the world have remained just the same if i had slept in all day? basically yes. and that bothered me. we're only here for a limited time and no one knows just how limited until it's too late. why do we constantly waste the time we're given, and then complain when we don't have enough? this summer, my parents have been trying to get me to get up earlier and start my day BEFORE noon. i have to admit, that the times which i have actually accomplished that, I felt better. I actually got up and did stuff while a good amount of the world was still asleep. theres a good feeling associated with getting a job done before 11am. becuase then you have the rest of the day to fill with the activities that you please. im actually excited to be starting my bookstore job again at 8am.

LIFE LESSON #2 - "Actions speak louder than words"
this age-old adage is one that my parents have been trying to pound in my head for quite some time, and thankfully this summer was full of examples illustrating that point to me. aside from the obvious one of the movie (which is explained in detail in the previous blog), i have also come to see people close to me fail to live up to their words. it hasn't been easy to deal with, but thankfully things have had their ways of working out. theres another old saying that says "if you want something done right, do it yourself". sadly, that statement is coming more and more true. people can promise things all they want, but unless they deliver along those same lines, then they're only wasting your time. its a funny thing about summer. everyone comes home and instantly wants to see everybody. yet so often people get caught up in their own lives and seldom does "hanging out" actually happen. countless times this summer my friends and i have TRIED to get together, but through one circumstance or another, it doesnt happen. the few times it DID happen though, were simply amazing! i also love the people who know you're home for the summer, then when they find out that you're leaving next week, you just HAVE to hang out! what happened to the other 8 weeks of summer that we could have been seeing each other? well, apparently they were too busy then. but now that YOU'RE about to leave, they suddenly have a clear schedule! it always amazes me how that happens. however, i cant say that im completely exempt from this problem too, and have to accept my share of the blame. but i definitely have learned the importance of being a reliable person, both professionally, and personally as a friend.