When I was growing up, one of my favorite things to do on the weekends was to load up in the Dodge Ram pickup truck with my parents and sister and set out for the 12-minute (I timed it once) trek to the local Drive-In Theatre (sadly no longer in business).
I believe, of the few drive-ins that remain alive today, the setup is the same...a wide gravel parking lot with various poles in the ground that used to hold bulky metal speakers that you hung on the inside of your car window so you could hear the soundtrack (now it's all done through apps and dead-air radio stations), with unruly weeds sprouting up like the pattern of a hair on a pubescent boy's chest, a small, badly leaning (largely unnecessary) concession stand that was also connected to a projector room, and bathrooms that my folks wouldn't let me use unless I had a chaperone (what was that all about?!)
The only drive-in I ever went to had one giant screen, and they played two movies, for $6! But when I was younger, my favorite thing about this experience was the intermission.
Between the two films, there was always a half-hour break built in (You got there at sunset and left around 1-2 AM) that was set for people to use the restrooms, hopefully buy concessions, move to a better spot, and for the projectionist to change over the reels and get the next film queued up.
All of these reasons didn't occur to me until later in life. For me the intermission was a time to get out of the truck and run to the grassy area at the foot of the screen to play with other children that waited impatiently for the exact same thing, playtime.
Even as adults we don't engage in this enough. It even goes by a different name to avoid the childish connotation; it's called "recreational time." We think that once we become adults we have to tie our ties, guzzle our coffee at 5 a.m., and break our backs to make life meaningful, comfortable, and enjoyable. But we see the result of all of this: the western world is filled with all types of medications for anxiety, depression, etc (that cause more side effects than cure ailments). Some of these are REAL issues, I'm sure. However, I also believe that a great majority of these diseases are linked to the absence of wide-eyed, adolescent abandon in people's lives.
Whether you're children or adults, you need to build some "playtime" into your schedules. There needs to be a time when you can get away from the bullshit that gets you stressed. Yes, there are a lot of other extraneous things going on in the world (storms, wars, domestic spying, etc.) that make you wary, but what good is a life if you're constantly worried about things that are completely out of your control and influence?
Think about growing up, did you ever really worry about anything that the networks and talking heads are screaming about?
Your only concern was whether or not you were going to be able to go outside and play.
The wind continues to blow a sweet breeze that carries the notes of birds that still sing every morning and the smell of flowers that still bloom and open their petals to the warming and nutritious rays of the sun. Babies still laugh. And you're still here.
As summer sets in and the sun rides high in the sky, remember one thing: It's ok to stop, breathe, and let your inner child run free (even if he's a horny, little wrestling nut who gets you into trouble every now and then) between films. It's only an intermission, and the next film will start soon enough.
Splendid.
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