Summer afternoons have the power to snatch from my mind memories of events I have never lived. When sunlight penetrates my eyes, through the retina, it triggers electrochemical connections in my brain that induce a feeling of euphoria and make me remember.
What exactly? I don’t know. I just know that the emotions I’m experiencing seem familiar, whether from my childhood, my time in my mother’s womb, or perhaps from another existence—I can’t say for certain. The one thing I do know is that the warm summer breeze caressing my face, the rustling leaves, the sunlight reverberating on the pavement, the red and yellow wild flowers flirting with the green meadows, the freshly plowed dark soil ready for planting, the billowing clouds overhead, and the deep blue lake all combine to draw me into a state of harmony and luminosity in which I levitate.
In this elevated state, my senses and instincts sharpen, allowing me to notice, perceive, and absorb everything surrounding me. Then it becomes clear to me why ancient civilizations worshipped the sun. It feels far more meaningful than venerating an abstract, anthropomorphic God.
During summer, days are longer, and so is life. The sun shines abundantly from early in the morning until late at night. And yet, it often feels like there isn’t enough time to accomplish all that one might wish to. Some of the possible activities are cycling through Highland Creek, Leslie Spit, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, or the Brickworks; attending jazz performances at Nathan Philips Square; enjoying the International Hispanic Fiesta at Harbourfront; experiencing LatinFest in Mel Lastman Square; celebrating Caribana along the Lakeshore; watching Shakespeare plays in High Park; marveling at fireworks at Ontario Place; rocking out at concerts in Wonderland; browsing the book fair on Queen Street; picnicking on Centre Island; taking a swim in the lake at Cherry Beach; or just strolling or driving around town while admiring a multitude of scantily clad women.
Summer offers me the opportunity to experience what feels like a whole year within just three months, before the gloomy clouds roll in, and I feel guilty if I let it slip away. It's a time of festivals, rituals, and celebrating life.
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© Translated from the Spanish by William Almonte Jiménez, 2005
© Spanish title: “Verano”
© William Almonte Jiménez, 2005
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