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Categories: Hazel Rosetta Smith,
The summer season has come around again, officially noted on June 20 this year. Unofficially, most people regard the summer season as beginning on Memorial Day when the beaches are opened, to the Labor Day Weekend in September. Be not dismayed, when the days are hot and long and the nights are sticky, it is summer. So, what are you going to do?
First of all, accept the fact that it will be hot, hot, hot, and numbers like ninety and up are not unusual. This is what we waited for all winter. Whether or not the temperature soars some folk will find something to complain about. Despite physical incapacities and inabilities, there are activities at hand to suit the creative prospector.
The senior centers provide lunch, classes, interesting programs, recreational opportunities, and more importantly, air conditioning. Public pools are opening at Riverbank State Park on Riverside Drive and Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem.
If you would rather avoid the sun, consider sundown as the perfect time to take a stroll through the park and settle down on a tree-shaded bench, with an informative book. Central Park, Marcus Garvey, and Morningside Parks have scheduled outdoor musical events, which are always bustling with people who have made their way to claim their favorite spot.
Vacationing in the city is a treat when budgets are tight, and money is short. The space and the grass are free. Gather up some friends; spread your blanket, or flip open your chair, sit back, and relax. Sip your choice of brew and get your groove on to the music that taps your heartstrings. Bring along your card table and cut the deck for spades, bid whist, or dominoes.
The city is a melting pot of street fairs offering culinary delights and thrifty cultural fanfare. Eating out with family and friends has become an outing sitting at tables on the sidewalks of restaurants. That is hanging out; shouting out to passing friends as you wait for your dinner to arrive. There was a time when this was the norm further downtown. Now, Harlem restaurants have captured the charm of dining by adding outdoor seating.
Whatever you choose to do during this outdoor season, take care, prepare, and participate in activities that are appropriate for your physical well-being. There can be fun and then some in the summertime for everyone.
Hazel Rosetta Smith is a journalist, playwright, and artistic director for Help Somebody Theatrical Ministries and HRS Speaks! Retired, former Managing Editor and Woman’s Editor of the New York Beacon. Contact: misshazel@twc.com and online www.hazelrosettasmith.com)
