October has arrived.
It seems like forever ago when Elysha, the kids, and I were sitting on the beach on a hot, summer day, swimming, kayaking, and eating ice cream.
Over the course of every summer, and over the course of every year, I create a list entitled Moments of Note. It’s a collection of memorable moments from the summer and the calendar year. It’s my attempt to take a full measure of a period of time. To remember it. Hold it. Never allow it to slip through my fingers.
As the days turn cool and the leaves change color, I found myself looking back on my list today. Remembering the sun. Basking in its warmth. It brought me back to those lazy summer days and made me feel good about the time I spent with family and friends. Allowed me to recapture a little bit of summertime joy.
I’m doing the same thing for 2020 as a whole, which may seem odd given the events of this particular year, but it’s important to be able to look back on your most recent trip around the sun, as well as part trips, and know that your time was well spent and will not be forgotten.
I can’t recommend this exercise enough.
Moments of Note: Summer 2020
- Charlie starts playing golf for the first time
- Charlie, Elysha, and I paddle-board for the first time
- Charlie and Clara begin playing soccer
- I win two virtual Moth StorySLAMs and attend many more
- I shoot a 45 on the back 9 at Rockledge with Andrew and Jeff for my best round ever
- We have Shawn, Brooke, and their kids over for long, lazy, socially distant lunch
- The family goes kayaking several times
- I teach storytelling workshops in Australia, Singapore, the UK, and throughout the US, including for two Fortune 100 companies
- I play golf at various times with Sam, Scott, Shep, Andrew, Jeff, Steve, Dan, Donna, and Feeney
- I herniate a disc in my back
- Clara, Charlie and I invent “Between the Legs” and “What’s That I Hear?” in Dunning Lake. Clara and Charlie set a new “Between the Legs” record on the last day of the summer
- We march in a Black Lives Matter protest
- I crash into a tree branch while on my bike and tear open my knee
- We replace our windows
- We install ductless AC
- Charlie, Elysha, and I watch many movies from our childhood, including ET, The Goonies, and the Karate Kid
- We eat on the deck on many, many glorious nights
- Elysha falls in love with my cheeseburgers
- We host a socially distant brunch with the Golders
- We eat outdoors at Dish & Dat, Beanz, A.C. Peterson’s, and Effie’s
- I sell “Someday is Today” to New World Library
- I teach half a dozen six-person workshops with people from all over the country and around the world
- We attend a neighborhood BBQ at the home of Paula and Scott
- Clara, Charlie, and I play mini golf at Safari Golf and Farmington Mini-Golf
- We enjoy many lunches and linners with Nani and Gramps
- I write more than half of “Storyworthy 2”
- I begin the pitch process for a TV show with Ken King
- The family rides bumper boats and plays mini golf
- Charlie clobbers a golf ball 110 yards and hits a goose’s butt
- We host Esam and Emma for a socially distant dinner on the deck
- I get asked to audition for a Fox network TV show
- Charlie and I go outside at 2:00 AM to see a shooting star. Charlie sees it!
- We host Elysa, Russell, and the kids for dinner on the lawn
- Elysha arranges for an ice cream truck to visit our home for the neighborhood kids
- Tobi escapes overnight and is found in the shed behind the neighbor’s house
- The family goes biking together many times, and I bike hundreds of miles
- Elysha and I watch Schitt’s Creek in its entirety
- We took the kids on their first bumper boat adventure
- Elysha and I produced our first Speak Up virtual show (and two more)
- Clara reads “Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend” for the first time
