A Farewell To Summer
One of the reasons I love fall is the change in routine it brings. When June rolls around each year, I want to be outside as much as possible, discard the day to day routine which has become drudgery, and I want to play. But by September I am ready to embrace routine and I find myself longing for more structure. I am ready to “get things done” and tackle my to-do list which has been buried somewhere on my desk over the summer.
But before I get too caught up in my to-do list, I want to share some finds from this past summer.
Something to Read
I read 2 autobiographies, which while not recent are both excellent, as well as a collection of short stories.
What I enjoyed about Born Standing Up by Steve Martin was the resilience and perseverance he demonstrated throughout his life…his success was by no means overnight or guaranteed. It was also a story about doing what you love, believing in oneself, and the importance of creative experimentation. All messages which are relevant for midlife.
The second book was On Writing by Stephen King. His autobiography takes a different approach than most books in this genre. The book is divided into 2 sections. In the first he details the salient parts of his life that made him a writer. In the second part he shares his thoughts and advice on what makes a good writer. Even if you are not doing a lot of writing these days you will enjoy this book.
Lastly, Exhalation by Ted Chiang is wonderful if you enjoy short stories. He is an excellent writer and I found myself unable to stop reading until the end of each story.
Something to Ponder on Friendship
Every week there is a new study, paper, or article about the importance of social connection and friendship. The two articles I reference below felt the most relevant for midlife. I particularly loved The Atlantic’s piece which says, “Just catching up can feel stale. Playing and wasting time together like kids do are how you make memories.” This resonates as I am trying to have more fun and doing so requires changing my mindset around time and productivity.
What Adults Forget About Friendship in The Atlantic
Finding Your People by Julie Flakstad in The Sunday Paper
Something to Watch
If you like comedy, horror, science fiction, or fantasy please, please watch Love, Death, and Robots on Netflix. Each episode is stand alone, under 22 minutes, and most are animated. They are extremely clever, entertaining, and hard to describe. A good one to start with is “The Robots” which is the third episode of the first season.
I also loved The Offer (on Paramount) about the making of The Godfather. I know, it did not sound interesting to me either, but it is fantastic and as good as the movie itself.
Something I Tried
Like many people in midlife, I am on a constant quest to get better sleep. And thanks to the Eight Sleep Pod I have found it! Seriously, this device is amazing. It fits over your mattress, has separate adjustments for each side of the bed, and is totally silent. I sleep deeper and wake up less often and more refreshed than I have in years. And the best part, I no longer get hot at night…ever! The Eight Sleep Pod is expensive but absolutely worth it (and no, I do not get a commission).
Parting Thought
I hope the transition to fall has been smooth and seamless and your to-do list leaves a little time to check out the books and shows I mention above.
To be continued…
