g ht Summer's out of reach

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I I I I I the time they reached me at my nosy spot on Queens Boulevard. I saw the long lines to use payphones because , cellular service was down. I heard of women's shoes being thrown over 1 bridges because the heels were intolerable. Bottled water was passed around without charge. I saw people scrambling to get inside sardine-packed cars that were offering rides to those who couldn't take another step.

I was able to think in the absence of the hum of the air conditioners and the pigeons' grumbling outside my window. I realized that for the first time in my life I felt small compared to how big the world really is.

You never really think about how dependent we are on electricity. If we didn't have the cars, subways, and planes to get us around, our transportation today would probably still be by horse and boat. We wouldn't have the cell phones that we so desperately need to be "in touch" with everyone. We wouldn't have the convenience of the Internet to communicate as instantly.

But what if you weren't so "hightech"? How do you get rid of the instinct to turn on the light when you enter the bathroom? What if you didn't have cash on you when everything was shut down? What would you do if the elevator was out and you live on the 15th floor? What if you are dependent on a machine that keeps you alive?

People think I'm crazy when I say I actually enjoyed living through the blackout in New York City. But think about it - how often does that happen to your neighborhood? It made me think of profound things that I wouldn't have thought of if I hadn't lived through it. I knew I was living history

1 GINA PEl<RACHIA 1 l'ERsPEcrMsEofTOR GMR722@CASRINI. EDU

This past summer wasn't exactly the best I've had. Actually. after talking to people on campus it doesn't seem as though many people had a good summer. I was going to go the negative route and just complain about how it rained every other day. but Tdecided against it, because T realized there were little things that made it just perfect. Every weekend that I went down the shore it was either cold or it rained. OK. I do recall a few days where it was sunny, but for most of the time it rained. There are two things that made those days ones that I will always remember. L saw the most amazingsunsets while sitting at the bay and walking along the board- walk. The sk • was fi.Ued with eve color you could think of. While being mesmeri1ed by the sky, I could think of nothing but how gorgeous it was.

The second thing was the ocean. I'm obsessed with wa:cr. I love waterfalls, water rides, lakes, pools, etc., but nothing can top a sunny day sitting at the beach looking into the ocean. Now, we all know the Atlantic Ocean is not blue, but from a distance the sparkling and glistening of the water makes it look so peaceful and pure. I know I'm sounding corny, but I can guarantee I have some people out there who agree with me.

If you're not a shore person, but you love the outdoors, the park is just the thing. I've been going to Valley Green. or "the crick,, as some ofus in Roxborough call it, ever since I was a little girl. On a warm summer day it can be refreshing to go feed the ducks, sit by the waterfall, and buy some ice cream. I had a few days like that this summer, and even though I usually had to go to work afterwards, it was still a nice break from the busy work schedule I had. for a while. I complained about how horrible this summer was. J worked all the time, had to deal with having a completely different work schedule from all of my friends, and had a close family member pass away. But looking back on it, it wasn't as horrible as I had previously made it out to be. I was able to enjoy it with the people I love the most and went to my favorite places to have fun and r e a x

Vacations are always something you can't do without during the summer. A trip to Florida to visit friends was exactly what J needed. Even though it rained almost every day, we did get a few good beach days in. and had an incredible time every night; whether it was staying in or going night swimming.

Always cherish your summers, especially the little things that make them unforgettable.