"Some beach somehwhere, there's a big umbrella casting shade over and empty chair. Palm trees are growing, warm breezes blowing. I picture myself there, some beach somewhere."

~Unknown~

This summer went by so quickly for me and my family. It was almost dream-like in the way it flew, an ethereal dove that flies into view and gone the next behind the tree across the road driven on during my trip home.

School starts in thirteen days from today for us here in Harford Country, MD. I've yet to go to the ocean... At least I went on a good camping trip out to a cabin somehwere in Elk Neck State Park (I highly recommend sleeping a cabin for a few days. It taught me a thing or two about appreciating my bed). But! This Sunday I go to Ocean City, I've never been before and the excitement is overwhelming.

I did though get a chance to go to a beach here on the Chesapeake Bay. It was peacefully tranquill, the waves breathed steadily in their slumber. Zebra-patterned butterflies danced around our picnic table, seagulls squaked hoarse calls to children playing in the sand. It was wonderful, but like always I was appreciating it... I don't like camping, or doing any form of fun with my family, but looking back at it now I realize how wonderful it really was. I had so much fun, but I hadn't noticed it then, why? I was focusing on all the wrong things, like my contacts, and wanting to go home, wishing my girlfriend was there, etc. I like to call that After-Experience, where you don't truly enjoy something until afterwards, but by then you've lost half or more of all the enjoyment one could gain. So I try something new: Enjoying the moment in the now as much as I humanly can! Sometimes it's hard to do, even when the moment seems like it can't be enjoyed. That's when I apply the perspective shifts I've talked about before (Look at something as if one was somebody else, or something else).

I also realized by not living in that very moment I robbed from someone elses enjoyment, something I loathe doing... To the point of it sickening me. It's best to live in the moment it seems, and I've now taken the vow to enjoy the NOW as much as I can! We've got only a few summer days left here, and they will be the best of summer yet!