I was thinking about…
Basking in Summertime Nostalgia
This past Saturday evening, the weather in our neck of the woods felt absolutely perfect – mid 80s, sunny, low humidity. Just the kind of summertime afternoon that beckons you to roll down windows, crank tunes and soak up that long-awaited seasonal magic before it inevitably starts slipping away soon enough.
So I decided heeding those vibes by taking a leisurely drive around town with the sunroof open and my cold cherry limeade in the console cup holder. If you’ve never tried that refreshingly tart yet sweet beverage combo on a hot day, you’re missing out! It’s one of those summertime staple treats I inherited early on from watching my cool big sis Marjorie as a teenager.
See, back then her group of friends would make regular runs to Sonic during those endless school breaks expressly to order rounds of those tangy, blushed limeades. And on a few lucky occasions, I even got to join their little high school crew on laidback Sonic sojourns for that distinct crisp, fruit-infused elixir too.
To this pipsqueak middle schooler, nothing felt more awesomely validating than tagging along with Marjorie and her posse of upperclassman pals chasing those first tingles of independence around our sleepy small town. I’d crank the windows down despite their playful protests, savoring those brief wind-whipped intervals where my universe expanded beyond my insular kid bubble.
Of course, if I’m being fully transparent here – one particular additional motivation for joining Marjorie involved maximizing any chances ogling her cute friend Lisa 😍 during our Sonic treks too. Yup, that familiar vintage pre-teen crush stuff where merely existing within the same atmosphere felt like hitting life’s highest score! Those combined free periods just cruising sun-dappled neighborhoods supplied endless opportunities weaving elaborate romantic fantasies in my daydreaming psyche.
This past Saturday, that cherry limeade and the classic rock tunes like The Cars “Moving in Stereo” unlocked all those nostalgic memories. Instead of taking the highways home, I opted for a longer neighborhood route to extend that summer reverie, just like we used to “drag main” back in the day. For a little while, I was transported back to those carefree summer breaks filled with infinite possibilities.
While those youthful reveries are fleeting, it’s a reminder that we all carry pieces of our summertime essences within us, no matter how much time passes. All it takes is the right nostalgic trigger to tap into the spirit of wide-open adventures and awakenings that defined our youth.
So cherish any chance to recapture those nostalgic summertime feelings, even momentarily. It’s a powerful way to reconnect with the unbridled optimism and freedom that came so effortlessly back then. Because deep down, little pieces of those dreamers still live on inside all of us, eternally chasing the long, endless summer days ahead.
Stay nostalgic, keep reminiscing! 🍒🥤
I was thinking about... 