Today is Ryan and Nolan’s last day of school.
I can’t believe that it’s here. The end of elementary school for Nolan, and the end of 7th grade for Ryan.
I recall those days when time was measured in terms of school years, but when I look back at my childhood, the only times I remember with any clarity are the summer vacations.
I remember the oppressive heat and still, smoggy air in the San Fernando Valley where I grew up.
I remember the sense of accomplishment I felt when I forced myself to stay awake nearly all night the day I got out of school in 5th or 6th grade, watching VHS tapes of wrestling on the top-loading VCR, just because summer had started, and I could sleep in.
I remember the progression of water-themed toys: The hose, the thing with the clown hat that spun atop the stream of water that you jumped through, the slip-n-slide, and finally the swimming pool.
The Sunland of my elementary and early middle school days only exists in those summertime memories of ice cream trucks and afternoon naps underneath the wall-unit air conditioner.
Back when the livin’ was easy.
71 thoughts on “Summertime”
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Just a couple of days ago, I told Anne that though I am always a little sad to wrap a season of Ready Room, because I genuinely love my job that much, I was glad to have the time and energy to do stuff together. It's always so weird how we can live together, sleep in the same bed, see each other every single day, and still miss each other because we're just so damn busy, and going in opposite directions most of the time. I was so happy that she had the idea to go out together, which is something we just haven't done in a long time.
Nolan and Ryan eh? Wouldn’t happen to be a fan of the legend Nolan Ryan anywhere in that blood line? *LOL*
Oh yeah, baby. Kid summers. Does anyone remember buying ice cream from an ice cream truck that didn’t look like it also sold weed or butterfly knives? The truck in our neighborhood had a huge rotating cone on top.
This is the first time I am commenting on here. I noticed that only ONE person made the connection between Wil’s post and Stand By Me. That was my VERY first thought. I was like, “Wow. How WEIRD. But, with this post, it shows Wil sort of truly becoming the Richard Dreyfus role now!”
Strange comfort in that.
Stand By Me was fiction and yet it spoke so clearly and true to people. That movie WAS childhood summers. No matter if you were a boy or a girl or what race, color, relegion or creed you came from.
And now, the person who portrayed the lead role shares his summer memories… and we all share our own… What a beautiful connection that is. Between dreams… and fiction… and the past… and the present… and how closely tied-in we all are to the heart and spirit of each other…
Ahem… Sorry… was that too “hippyish” of me?…
Summertime in Florida is not the best experience to have EVER. Somehow, when I was younger, it wasn’t quite so hot. Somebody’s mother was always driving us to the beach, or to the water park (Wet ‘N Wild) so I don’t really remember any of us having any hose attachment water toys. When you grow up in Orlando, (30 minutes to either coast) if you don’t have a pool in your yard, your neighbors do. I remember there was a group of about 6 of us that were inseperable. The entire summer between 5th and 6th grade, our mothers actually had it scheduled that each house had all 6 girls one night a week and we all slept at our own houses on Sunday night. You’d think with all that “togetherness” six pre-adolescent girls would have gotten sick of each other, but I don’t remember us even arguing. That summer seemed to last forever.
We didn’t have an ice-cream man, we had Polar Cups. (For anyone who didn’t have them, they were frozen lemonades…sort of a cross between a slushie and Italian Ice and way too sweet for any adult to drink.
It’s kind of sad to think back on that time, because of those 5 other girls, I don’t know where even 1 of them is today. I wonder if our girls (if they have any) would’ve been as close as we all were…
“Summa summa summatiiime, summatiiime!
… time to kick back and unwiiiind.”
UNF.
I like “unf”. I like Summer. No I don’t. Its too hot. Why is it the midwest is always so damn humid? I could stand hot, like Arizona and New Mexico, if we didn’t have the humidity.
I like popsicles. I want to go hiking. I can’t hike here. I want to go geocaching. I want some DQ. I’ve had too much coffee. Damnit.
Oh, man. Spending half the day at the pool. Ice cream trucks and lightening bugs! Spending the second half of the day watching A-Team re-runs with my big brother. Riding my bike to my best friends house so our Barbies could get maried…again. Thinking up new ways to get back at those horrible boys across the street. Climbing trees. My brother broke his arm falling out of the pear tree. I cracked my knee cap when we collided with our skateboards. Bee stings. (Now there’s a stupid thing to feel nostalgia for.) Skinny dipping in the river! Hiding the boys clothes when we caught them skinny dipping. Frisbee.
Then, when I was 15… It was the exact middle of the summer. I had been up all night talking on the phone and fallen asleep on the couch with the phone right beside my head. It rang at SEVEN O’ FREAKING CLOCK IN THE MORNING! I snatched it up and answered in a pissed off voice, “Fiery pits of Hell. This is Satan speaking.” Oh, the mortification! It was my high school guidance counselor wanting to inform me of a schedule change! I was so embarassed… But on the other hand, how dare he interupt my summer???
Oh, the memories! My daughter is so deprived. We can’t have a sprinkler because of a semi-permanent watering ban. And I never buy her ice cream from the ice cream man because now it costs 3.50 and I can buy a whole box for that! Sigh.
It’s my brother’s birthday party and his friend is over who looks exactley like Vern. we’re watching Stand by me.
Hey everyone whats up im back!!! Wil I miss you soooo much your the greatest in the world I’m watching Stand By Me you’re so hott in this movie! Oh but you still are. By the way do you ever plan on unblocking me? I promise I’ll bea good girl!
Luv Ya, Jess
my best summer memories are of me and my dog exploring the woods behind our house…back then the world seemed so big…we never really got that far from home…maybe a mile at most…but to me it seemed we were half-way across the earth…and there was nothing to see but trees on all sides…i would begin to wonder if we’d ever get back home…but suzy the dog knew where dinner was…and she would always lead me home…good thing i trusted her…or likely i’d still be wondering around in circles in the woods…mom never knew how far we’d gone…she would have been pissed!…it may not seem like far now…but for a seven year old it was pretty damn far!…i miss those days alot…but there’s no going back except in my memory…where the
trees still stand tall…and me and my dog are on another adventure to the ends of the earth……d.burr
woah youre still alive!! i had such a crush on you when i was a kid!
It’s funny a couple of people were watching Stand By Me, I just got finished watching Toy Soldiers. Poor Unca Wil got dead. :~( He was even hotter in that movie, if you ask me. And since you didn’t, I’ll go ahead and say that he’s even sexier now. There’s nothing in the world that’s as attractive as a man so obviously in love with his wife and kids. That those kids are his by default only makes him an even better man. I have 950% respect for Wil. I only hope Anne loves him as much. 🙂
Hi Willie, how come nobody said anything to me i feel soo unloved Wil please unblock me I love you so much you’re the greatest in the world I love you soo much I look up to you and you are my favorite actor of all time and I really hope you unblock me and stop being mad at me I said I was sorry! Love always, Jessica
Adding to the list of morons who need to grow up, we have c-24-118-141-49.mn.client2.attbi.com
I had one of those clown sprinklers!!!
I had one of those clown sprinklers!!!
Oops… 🙁
…last day in school…my last exam in the college…I got my diploma on saturday (15th June)…I’m a teacher now and the summers-this summer too- is never be the same again…just wondering how is..our life..is so fast!
…last day in school…my last exam in the college…I got my diploma on saturday (15th June)…I’m a teacher now and the summers-this summer too- is never be the same again…just wondering how is..our life..is so fast!
…Sorry! I really want to send this only one time! Have everyone a nice summer!
What did c-24-118-141-49.mn.client2.attbi.com do?
Hello Wil,
I believe today, Monday, July 29th is your birthday, so I wanted to send you a Birthday Wish for a great year! Happy Birthday!
Jerry