The Moment Between Now and Then

When you’re on a roller coaster, there’s that moment, where you are moving very slowly, right before the first drop sends you careening through the rest of the ride. It’s very calm, and if you don’t have your eyes closed, you can take in the view of the rest of the amusement park, which looks so peaceful from above.

This is how July feels to me. Summer is in full swing, it’s been hot for awhile, and there appears to be no respite from the warm weather in sight. We’ve gotten into whatever routine the season brings, the ease of rolling to a cliff with nothing but a t-shirt and pair of shorts. But I’ve also noticed that I’m almost at the top of the ride, and things are about to get all crazy fast and twisty.

In only a month or so, the weather will likely be noticeably cooler, and up high the leaves will even start changing. The days will be that much shorter, and fall will be knocking on the door, including the return of the students to the school I work at.

My friend Brendan Leonard knows what I’m talking about, his most recent post being a call to arms, knowing that summer is half over, inspiring all of us to make the most of the rest of it.

As I sit here on the brink, inhaling one last time before we drop into the craziness of life and work and play, I look around, and I really do enjoy the view. And when the snow is piled up and it seems like forever since I’ve worn shorts, I’ll have this memory to go back to, of summer time and warm nights and endless days and alpine ridges and chasing shade.

Here’s to summer, and we’re off!