Why You SHOULDN'T Have a 'Phineas and Ferb' Summer
It's the first week of June, and summer has unofficially begun for most people. With school officially out for me, and my senior year beginning, I felt it was only necessary to focus today's post on the definitive summer show: Phineas and Ferb.
For those of you who may be living under Patrick's rock and have no idea what Phineas and Ferb is, the show focuses on the titular step-brothers' plan to make their summer amazing by doing revolutionary, ambitious things every day. Whether it be building a giant rollercoaster (twice!), hosting a beach party in their own backyard, or even flying a plane across the world, Phineas and Ferb's antics comically go unnoticed by their mom and dad, but are always spotted on by their older sister Candace, who tries every episode to get them 'busted' for their wrongdoings.
Last year, Phineas and Ferb returned for new episodes again, and I was reminded of the phenomenon of the Phineas and Ferb summer that so many people want to achieve.
A recurring theme every summer is people deciding to make this summer, 'THEIR' summer. They want to have a Phineas and Ferb summer. They want to gather a group of friends and do the most ambitious things possible- trips every week, new activities every day, and even more. And most of the time, they do none of these things, see people posting their own misadventures on Instagram, and then they feel sad. So, they try again the next summer. And the next summer. And the one after that. Little do they know that by deeming themselves inferior every single time, instead of feeling happier, they just feel plain bad.
I once tried to have one of these perfect summers. I planned to learn soccer, get my babysitting license, and do something fun and unique every single day. To make a long story short, that summer ended up being a dud after I was unexpectedly hospitalized, and all of my expectations flew through the coop. Back then, I thought that summer was awful. But looking back today, it wasn't a failure. It taught me about life, family, and faith, and those are the things that we remember the most.
While taking inspiration from the show is fun, I soon realized as a result of my experiences that maybe the perfect summer is not the point. Maybe it takes away from the fundamental part of summer that makes us feel most at ease: the simplicity of it all.
During the song, Summer (Where Do We Begin) in the Phineas and Ferb movie Across the 2nd Dimension when Phineas and Ferb tell their alternate universe selves about the feeling of summer, the chorus of the song isn't about all of their inventions. No, summer is defined with "...ice cream cones and cherry soda dripping down your chin." Even after doing so much with their lives in just three months, Phineas and Ferb still see summer as just the little moments.
Summer is a time where the expectations of society can be placed to the side, and where time becomes ours again. The words of 'grown-ups' around us can be dismissed because no matter what you do, this is OUR time. A good summer isn't a summer with the most luxury or the most insane plotlines- a good summer is a summer where you can be yourself.
So abandon that to-do list and learn to enjoy the little things again. Wake up early to hear the birds chirping and to see the sun rise. Read a book (when was the last time you did that?) Make that one recipe you saved on Pinterest six months ago but was too nervous to attempt the first time. Watch all of the shows and all of the movies you've ever wanted to check out. Learn a new skill. Keep a journal. Get a plant. Embrace the little things before the world gets too hectic to anymore; THAT is what summer is all about.
You're lucky enough to have a life right now, so why don't you live it while you have the chance?
