A Short (Non) Film: The Summertime Blues

Words by Matthew Spence:

Disc 2 of The Seasons “Greatest Hits” is getting ready for play very soon. The sun is out to blind drivers during their Target run, temperatures rising (shout-out to Mobb Deep) and causing more sweat than a spin class, and Sundress by A$AP Rocky is in for a playlist roulette so hardcore, it’s gonna have more traumatic stories than the Glass Bones Fish.

 

 

For many, it’s the time to live, laugh, and recreate the ‘1979″ video by The Smashing Pumpkins. However, for some, including myself, me, and Iris, summer depression kicks our ass. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) isn’t exclusive to winter, as some may typically associate it with. It tag-teams with Summer. “Summertime Blues,” as some call it, I for one can say: Two thumbs down.

[DISCLAIMER: I haven’t been diagnosed by professionals and certified doctors, nor do I wanna claim to have it with any intent to undermine people who have been.]

It’s like I’m watching a tragedy right before my eyes, but I can’t do anything about it. Over the past 3 summers, there’s a period where my world collapses before my eyes. Confidence goes from 100% to below 0. I don’t believe anything I say anymore. What felt like a soft touch from another turned into the feeling of plastic. I don’t know why. Months prior and months after, I will be back to normal, ready to laugh and smile. Yet, the halfway mark in the calendar has been conquering me over the past few years. It’s like that annoying cousin who makes you jump for something just to laugh at you struggling. Every security I had of who I am, what I am, and where I’ll go gets flushed away like drugs during a surprise raid. If I had it my way, I’d go the whole summer smiling and bumping RACECAR with Clairo and Coco & Clair Clair, but there’s that stint that gets in the way.

 

 

Instead of living it up, I’m living it down, wasting away. Going out is forced, enjoyment is nonexistent, smiles become fraudulent, and communication becomes distant (no rhyme intended). Every burden I feel weighs everything.

This year, however, it’s a book I wanna rewrite. Are there certified tips and tricks that I can personally give? Well, not necessarily me, but other sources can. From what I gathered,  It’s safe to say that it’s time to go back to the basics. It’s old but gold.

 

 

Finding solace in the things I enjoy. Comfort from those around me. Stay proactive and productive. I don’t wanna leap into my “Life is Shit” playlist and become Squidward, looking out the window. I’ve seen the bleakest how reality can turn, but this time around, with my head up high and my chessboard set up, I can find a way to stall it as much as I can. Figure out and understand why gloom-covered thoughts flow during these times and combat them. I truly hope others around the way can do the same for themselves. Kick depressions ass. We all deserve to enjoy ourselves, no matter the time of year. We deserve the feeling of ecstasy in life for ourselves. PEACE