I can’t be the only person who is feeling a bit unnerved about the close of summer. I know we are almost a month away from Labor Day, but for some reason this summer seems to have blown by. Is it because many of us have been glued to the news watching the presidential election? Is it because for some reason every person I speak to seems to be busier than ever? Or is it because June and July seemed nonexistent and now we are left to fulfill summer goals in August? I am not sure what happened, but I am determined to make the most out of these next few weeks.
First, I am actually going to “tune out” just a bit. I have become consumed with reading every news story about the insipid and downright offensive comments from the Republican nominee for the presidency. I have spent hours worrying about the Nov. 8 presidential election, to such an extent that I am almost losing sleep thinking about the future of this country. I realize that doing so has been a severe time-vacuum of sorts, reading every news story that is written about predictions, past policies (or lack thereof) and political promises (and threats). I can still read the news, but I do not need to be glued to various forms of social media to follow minute-by-minute coverage. A balance must be struck.
Second, I am actually going to make a plan and do some fun activities before the summer ends. There are always so many interesting exhibits at The Studio Museum in Harlem (www.studiomuseum.org) which has a suggested donation of $7 for adults and is free on Sundays. There is also the Bronx Museum (www.bronxmuseum.org), which is a free museum everyday. Those are just two museums out of many in all five boroughs. I haven’t even looked at the schedule for all of the free concerts at SummerStage just yet (www.cityparksfoundation.org). Essentially, I need to get off of social media and get out of the apartment to enjoy all that New York City provides in the summer months, oftentimes for free.
Lastly, I am going to make a list of what needs to get done before Labor Day. I have so many deadlines swirling around in my head, it seems like nothing is really getting done. As I start to make a list, I am also prioritizing what is a necessity versus what is just a minor task that should or could get done at a later date.
Those are my goals for the last weeks of August. I do hope everyone has enjoyed the summer and that is was not as fleeting as mine. If it was though, hopefully you will be able to tune out, get out of the house and prioritize enjoying these warm days.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an Associate professor at Fordham University and the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.” You can find her on Twitter @Dr_CMGreer.