Depending on how one looks at it, summer is quickly coming to a close. For those who look at it more astrologically, there are still a few more weeks to go before things switch over and we get the latest Weezer E.P. in the SZNZ collection. But for me, I know that this summer will be over for one reason: I start school on August 17 and thus will be knee-deep in the Fall 2022 semester for the next few months. Given how intensive the previous semester was, I am getting ahead of the madness here by saying that if you notice a decrease in the content on The Memory Tourist, it’s not from lack of effort. I genuinely need to manage my time efficiently.
As I’ve alluded to in my recent How I Live Now, this summer has been great for me even though it’s also been a rather busy one at that. I am definitely going ahead with a very positive mindset, especially since I’m roughly two semesters out from achieving my Bachelor’s. It’s a thrilling time, but also one that makes me nervous because when you’re that close to the finish line, you don’t want to screw even 1% up. I’m not going for straight A’s (that record is already gone), but I do want to believe that I’ll achieve a respectable G.P.A. that reflects how much time and effort went into this phase of my life.
So yes, there will be scaling back on here which means I won’t have bi-weekly content. Even Short Stop, which I have been burning through at two per week, will be lowered to one per week. This isn’t to say that I will give up entirely, but more that I am going to be more strategic about what I release and try to only post things that I deem significant. This may still pertain to media, or something else that’s personal. In the time going forward, I would like to believe that A24 A-to-Z and Make It New continues to move forward, though I don’t know what timeline that will be at this moment.
For those wanting a good example of how this will likely look, simply go back to the content I released prior to May of this year. As one can notice, this often means that I will be releasing something every week, though it will not be in a regimented structure. Maybe it will just be the aforementioned columns playing out in sequential orders. There’s a decent chance that something will inspire me to try and write about a topical post. I imagine that this will be especially true around October and maybe December as the holidays present a bevy of content that is worth diving into. Also, I am thinking of running a Late-November post about why I want to induct Spencer (2021) as a Thanksgiving movie. Yes, I know it’s set at Christmas, but the film captures my feelings around the lesser holiday so well that I’ll just have to state my case.
Other potential posts that are coming in the days ahead will be a post about my journey of trying to be a happier person. Similarly, I want to write about how I personally feel having taken a nearly four month/100+ days break from Twitter. As of this writing, I don’t have anything confirmed but I do have all intention of staying on top of what I can. They may be more abstract and off the beaten path type of posts, but I do imagine they’ll be a nice break from the academics. It may extend my workload by an exhausting amount somedays, but I do find catharsis in publishing work that is reflective of who I am at that moment. If nothing else, I like to revisit it months later and remember what I thought was a big deal at a time – even if I’m likely to disagree with punctuation and word choice frequently.
In short, that is why this week is not producing a whole lot of the usual suspects. I’m taking this time to prepare for the semester ahead and taking one last moment to clear my head. It’s an exciting time. Reservations Dogs is back. Better Call Saul is almost gone. I’m also reading Donna Tartt’s phenomenal “The Goldfinch” which in a summer of reading everything under the sun is definitely a high mark so far. Other than that, Beach Bunny’s “Entropy” and Dora Jar’s “Bumblee” is giving me a cheerful vibe to end this hot, cruel summer on as I try to eke out the last of my creative juices.
There is also, of course, the chance that personal affairs will get in the way. I’m not going to go into any of them, but they definitely eat up time and that’s part of the reality of life. I like to think I’m at a balanced point in my existence right now, and I hope to start the next step of my journey on a very positive note. I will only know once I take the first few steps.
So that’s how it’s gonna be. As much as I’d love to have something new every day, that’s not realistic for me as someone who got severely burned out in 2020. While I am closer to the happy, healthy productive type that I once was, I’m not capable of balancing studying with three hours of essentially superfluous writing per day. Don’t get me wrong. I love having a back catalog of things that interest me. As a writer, the publish or perish idea has been beaten into me so efficiently. Also, I think that The Memory Tourist has been the most fulfilling website I’ve run on a personal level. It’s helped me get through so many personal hurdles and I like to think it’s connected me with like-minded individuals.
So I hope to have one or two final surprises in store before the week is out, but otherwise, this is going to be a period of rest for me. I hope that everyone’s lives are gearing up for an exciting Fall and you achieve whatever those goals are. For me, I need to put the pieces in order to best set my sights on them. I’ll talk with you soon. Take care.
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