Greater than the Sum(mertime) of Our Parts

When the children were small, and I was kind of going out of my mind trying to keep up with the laundry and beans out of their noses, those wiser than me would try to console me with this adage: The days are long, but the years are short. 

Mostly this made me want to retort Fine then how ‘bout you change this revolting diaper and then make dinner with some leftover macaroni and a limp zucchini? But the message still seeped through my frenzied exhaustion, and I’ve done my best to savor the slow times as the years stacked up behind me. 

Now that the kids have entered the labyrinthine stress of adulthood, it’s my turn to be beatifically annoying with pithy proverbs of my own, such as Be present and Don’t sweat the small stuff, which really pisses off the one with a landlord who won’t fix the air conditioning. 

By far, the most irritating piece of advice I give is We are the sum of our habits, meaning that our daily routines and attitudes become the arc of a life, whether we intend it or not. The older we get, the more these compound, and it’s the minor things we do most often that can count the most, whether they’re constructive (kitchen yoga while the water boils, squirreling away a few bucks a month, telling yourself you’re gorgeous) or destructive (smoking cigs, slouching, tolerating toxic foolishness).

As we slide into the longest day of our annual earthly spin on Thursday, I’ve been thinking about how the math of small things also applies to society and culture. While it may appear that civilization is unraveling like a Dollar Tree dish towel, allow me to point to how humble efforts applied over time have added up to big wins, especially around here: 

• Juneteenth Goes Mainstream: The annual commemoration of the liberation from slavery has been celebrated among Black communities for a century and a half, though the generations who passed on the tradition could only imagine that it would become a federally-recognized, close-the-banks kind of holiday. This summer Juneteenth events have popped up in every corner of the country and county, with so many parades and pageants and barbecues and wade-ins that I propose that from now until Fourth of July be deemed “Liberty Season.”

• Pride Proud and Loud: While the kaleidoscopic radiation of our LGBTQIA+ people isn’t new, our world shines with the work of those who blazed the trail, one fabulous step at a time. This month brims with gay fun in Savannah, including the Renegade Paws Rescue Pride Pack Walk that brought four-legged family members out on the streets. For cabaret types, the Time Traveling Drag Queens fly in this weekend, and all are welcome at the Stonewall Block Party on June 22. (On the topic of trailblazers, we shed sudsy tears for the closing of Moon River Brewing Co., who leaves a legacy not only as the first microbrewery in the state but for introducing Savannah to Drag Brunch.)

  

  Cody Shelley walking with Renegade Pack

• River Heroes: I’ve been swooning for the last couple of weeks at the way the tiny-but-mighty Ogeechee Riverkeeper has said the quiet part out loud about the impact the new Hyundai plant will have on regional water systems and ecology. (Full disclosure: My favorite fella just joined the board.) The lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers comes from dogged daily vigilance and commitment and sets an empowering precedent for other environmental groups across the country. If you missed Tuesday’s membership drive at Green Truck Pub, join the force.

• Ossabaw’s “Pink Elephant”: After Ossabaw Island’s down-to-earth doyenne Sandy West passed away three years ago at 108, the future remained uncertain for the crumbling family mansion she’d continued to inhabit after selling the land to the state in the 1970s. The Ossabaw Island Foundation submitted grant after grant as the Spanish Colonial marvel moldered in glorious disrepair, and it looked like the balcony might cave in before anyone came to the rescue. The Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources has now stepped up with $7 million to rehab what TOIF executive director Elizabeth DuBose calls the “pink elephant” and its surrounding buildings, allowing more lucky visitors to experience the island’s magic.  

• Just Say Heyhowyadoin: Speaking of little acts that make a difference, my  TEDx Savannah Talk is up! I firmly believe this “One Small Thing To Do To Belong Anywhere” is one of the best things about living in Savannah and can add up to a more connected, kinder world. Hope you’ll watch, share, and put it into practice.

Summer may be slow, but it’s deep, y’all. May the long days stretch out before you as an invitation to be present, do a little kitchen yoga every day, and not to sweat the small stuff even when it’s 90 degrees.

Have a drink, have a drive, go out and see what you can find ~ JLL