Why does every summer feel expansive and infinite at the start, and by Labor Day, it’s somehow gone by impossibly fast? Cognitive neuroscientists have some theories that can begin to explain that inconsistency in our perception: Memories distort time, of course. But in the moment, increases in dopamine may seem to speed up time. Wide-open spaces have the power to expand it. Retracing familiar routes can contract it.
Maybe that’s part of what makes this season so sweet. Those time-warping days spent in a chair at the beach, letting the size of the Atlantic bend time with every crashing wave. Or that pleasure hit you get after tasting the season’s first perfect tomato. It’s not just that those moments are beautiful; it’s also that they might, in a sense, crystallize time for us.
Whatever it is, I’m setting an intention to embrace summer’s singular alchemy of nostalgia and pulchritude. To allow it to overwhelm me when I pause to notice it. And at the very least—when fall comes around and I wonder how I let that happen—I’ll know it’s not for lack of trying.
Love,
Gwyneth
P.S. Today is not only the first day of summer but also the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. This is your reminder to put some SPF on and go outside.
Why does every summer feel expansive and infinite at the start, and by Labor Day, it’s somehow gone by impossibly fast? Cognitive neuroscientists have some theories that can begin to explain that inconsistency in our perception: Memories distort time, of course. But in the moment, increases in dopamine may seem to speed up time. Wide-open spaces have the power to expand it. Retracing familiar routes can contract it. Maybe that’s part of what makes this season so sweet. Those time-warping days spent in a chair at the beach, letting the size of the Atlantic bend time with every crashing wave. Or that pleasure hit you get after tasting the season’s first perfect tomato. It’s not just that those moments are beautiful; it’s also that they might, in a sense, crystallize time for us. Whatever it is, I’m setting an intention to embrace summer’s singular alchemy of nostalgia and pulchritude. To allow it to overwhelm me when I pause to notice it. And at the very least—when fall comes around and I wonder how I let that happen—I’ll know it’s not for lack of trying. Love,
Gwyneth P.S. Today is not only the first day of summer but also the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. This is your reminder to put some SPF on and go outside.