Moments of Note Summer 2021

The end of August has arrived. My children head back to school today.
Elysha and I return on Monday.
It seems like forever ago when Elysha, the kids, and I wandered onto the beach at Winding Trails on our first glorious summer day.
June 18th to be exact. Forever ago.
The end of summer is always hard on me. I worked a great deal during this past summer, but I dictated the parameters of that work. No one (other than my publisher) was forcing me to do anything. I scheduled clients for the dates and times when I was willing to work. I chose where and when I was willing to travel. I had total control over my time.
This allowed for a great amount of time to be spent at the beach, on the golf course, biking, playing with the kids, boating, spending time with friends, and much more.
It was a glorious summer. Almost no travel thanks to the pandemic, but still a glorious summer.
But teaching is an entirely different endeavor. Rather than dictating my own schedule, teaching is a job that requires my presence on certain days and certain times in a specific location.
In terms of time and flexibility, it’s a far more demanding job.
It’s also a job that I still love as much as my first day of teaching back in 1999, but I simply love summer vacation more.
The end of another summer is always a sad time for me.
Over the course of every summer, and over the course of every year, I create and maintain a list entitled “Moments of Note.” It’s a collection of memorable moments from both the summer and the full calendar year. It’s my attempt to take a full measure of a period of time. To remember it. Hold it tight. Never allow it to slip through my fingers.
It’s my way of making me feel good about my time spent. So often in life, we allow these memories to be forgotten. We look back on a summer or a year and wonder where the time went. What did we actually do? Was the time well spent? Did we do enough?
My “Moments of Note” list reminds me of all that we did. It makes me feel good about the time we spent during this past summer and excites me about future summers yet to come.
I read my “Moments of Note: Summer 2021” list to the family while eating ice cream earlier this week. It was fun to recall moments we might have forgotten and take full measure of all that we accomplished.
It felt good.
As the summer draws to a close, I find myself looking back on my list again today. Remembering the sun. Basking in its warmth. It allows me to  recapture a little bit of summertime joy and feel better about the time we spent.
I can’t recommend this exercise enough.
My list won’t mean anything to you. If you didn’t live this past summer with me, it’s just a collection of family adventures, new endeavors, and amusing moments. My list isn’t even worth reading, but take a moment before the days grow long and the warmth of summer wanes to make your own list.
Take full measure of this past season of what I hope was fun and glory.
Keep it for today and forever more. Don’t let these days slip away like beach sand through your fingers.
Moments of Note: Summer 2021

We celebrate Charlie’s birthday with a party and giant water slide

We attend Luke’s birthday party, which also features a giant waterslide

I join Beth and Jen for our annual post school year dinner at Max Burger

I enter into a partnership to produce a television show for Netflix and possible film adaptations of two books

I go into business with Hiitide

I launch a new business – StoryWorthy – in partnership with Orange Marketing

I officiate the wedding of Sharon and Alex

I sign a contract to write comic books for a publisher

Elysha and I take two weeks of sailing lessons

Matt and Elysha go to Springsteen on Broadway

The family attends Winding Trails family night

The family attends the US Women’s Soccer Team game vs. Mexico at Rentschler Field

Elysha and I enjoy a weekend visit to Martha’s Vineyard on our anniversary

Charlie and Clara spend two weeks at Winding Trails camp

Charlie and I play many rounds of golf together

I compete in the New Haven Festival for Arts and Ideas story slam and won!

We attend a party at Cruz’s home

Charlie takes archery lessons

Charlie attends golf camp

Clara attends soccer camp

Charlie and I play mini golf

Clara, Charlie, and I play mini golf

I teach Charlie how to play chess

Charlie and I played chess with the giant-sized pieces at Winding Trails

Clara, Charlie, and I watch Black Widow

I travel to San Fransisco to consult with client

Elysha, Clara, and Charlie spend three days in the Berkshires while I’m in San Fransisco

Dinner and campfire with the Daigles, then the Daigles come over for dinner

Weekend in the Catskills, which includes…

Elysha, Clara, and Charlie visit Opus 40

Elysha, Clara, and Charlie visit the biggest and smallest kaleidoscope in the world

Elysha, Clara, and Charlie climb down to the edge of the river

I perform at the Phoenicia Playhouse

Late night drive home from Phoenicia featuring wide awake children and sleeping Elysha

Elysha, the kids, and I celebrate our anniversary in West Hartford Center at Rizzuto and Ben & Jerry’s

I purchase a new set of golf clubs

Dinner and campfire with Jeff, Nhi, and family

I play 18 holes of golf with Jeff, Tom, and my editor, Alice at Tunxis

I play many, many rounds of golf with Jeff, Andrew, Shep, Dan, and Rob

We meet for book club at the Damokosh’s home

Elysha and I produce and perform in an outdoor show at The Hill-stead Museum

I hire Kaia as my assistant

I compete in a Moth StorySLAM (with Kathy) at The Bell House in Brooklyn

I compete in a Moth StorySLAM (with Jeni and Amy) at The Bell House in Brooklyn

I win my seventh Moth GrandSLAM

Tobi takes a ride in the dryer

Charlie spends many, many hours playing with Luke from next door

I am interviewed by podcasters in the United States, Australia, the UK, and Canada

Our living room comes together with new furniture, fixtures, etc.

I teach a virtual storytelling workshop to frontline workers in the UK

I record a story for The Volume Knob

I compete in Steve’s cornhole tournament alongside Dan

I teach a week-long virtual storytelling workshop for international students in collaboration with Rustic Pathways

We play board and card games during Clara’s Family Game Night

Charlie, Elysha, and I take many trips on Dunning Lake via kayak, paddle board, and sailboat

Charlie plays “Cling to Daddy” a whole lot in the water

I get diagnosed with a hernia

We visit many bookstores and purchase many, many books. Clara, especially.

I speak at the East Hampton Public Library

I speak at TEDx Berkshires at Shakespeare & Company

I enjoy dinner at the home of Ethan and Jaime in Lenox following the TEDx Talk

I meet and share a meal with former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick

Kelli and Mike visit for lunch

We attend a Yard Goats game (no-hitter until two outs in the ninth inning)

We see unexpected, inexplicable, and fantastic fireworks over the bus station on July 4

Matt and Elysha attend a Neil Diamond – Hartford Symphony tribute concert with Eddie and Kathy

We attend Yawgoog Alumni Day

I speak at the Permission To Move conference

I speak about storytelling on a Reddit forum

We go to many farmer’s markets in Coventry, sometimes with friends

We survive Hurricane Henri unscathed

We spent many, many summer days on the beach at Winding Trails, swimming reading, writing, and playing

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