How Would You Spend An Ideal Summer Day in Dallas?

DALLAS, TX —We're between legislative sessions. There's not an election in sight. Temps are in the '90s, and there's enough rain to keep your lawn green for another few days.

This is that rare moment when it can be pretty great to be a Dallasite. Or even a Texan anywhere in the Lone Star State.

You didn't think about the halcyon days of your childhood as you were living them — mornings of freshly mowed grass, when school was out for the summer, your chores were done and the most important thing you'd have to decide was whether to get a DQ Blizzard after swimming or opt for a street corner sno-cone.

As we ease out of the pandemic and back into a life that resembles something closer to routine, there is real value in stopping for a nanosecond while you're between crucial errands and job responsibilities to remember that phrase from the Declaration of Independence: the pursuit of happiness.

That phrase has different meanings to different people, depending on where you were raised, but in Texas, it means taking life at a pace that suits the heat and remembering why we all work as hard as we do to provide the next generation like those idyllic childhoods we remember.

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So, do yourself a favor sometime in the next few days: Take your family, a loved one or a few close friends and do your day Dallas style.

Get out of your place before the heat or the rain convince you to stay in. Head to someplace like Tacos la Banqueta, Velvet Taco or Tacolicious for breakfast tacos. Stay a long time. Visit. If you can find a great cup of Mexican coffee (made with cinnamon in with the grounds), savor it. Today, make friends with eggs, cheese, chorizo and red corn tortillas. Let them be a gateway to an afternoon like the ones you used to take for granted.

If it's pouring cats and dogs by the time you finish, that's fine. Texas thunderstorms aren't something you want to play with, but just as often as not, they arrive just long enough to put you in the mood for a nap like you can't get anywhere else on the planet. That boom and crash and rumble? They tell you your world is going through nature's car wash.

But . . . if it's going to be one of those sticky, sultry summer days, you owe it to your inner child to get to water, pronto. Take cold drinks. Make a pitcher of margaritas if you like. But the important thing is to get underwater and pretend like it's the first summer you're absolutely sure you finally know how to swim. Seriously.

If it's a place in nature you favor (Lake Grapevine, Lake Ray Roberts or Lake Ray Hubbard will do), good for you. We don't need to know your favorite secret spot — although you're certainly allowed to share it. If it's an apartment pool, that'll do just fine. Listen to the sounds of kids giggling and splashing around. Did you ever think you'd miss it as much as you did?

If your pool is more than 8 feet deep, dive down and sit on the bottom for as long as you can hold your breath at least once. And listen closely to the sound of almost nothing.

Make sure only of three things on this day: First, that you share your time with people who want the same thing out of the day that you do. Second, that you're slathered frequently in sunscreen, and third that you're somewhere close to a happy hour when sunset arrives.

If you have kids, get them ice cream, a sitter and let them go wild watching that movie on The Disney Channel that you now know by heart from too many viewings on lockdown. This is the moment you've been waiting for — for you.

Then get to a rooftop and order anything that catches your eye. Lone Star? Sure. Tecaté? Why not? But don't forget that watermelon and tequila were made to be frozen and blended together. Whatever you do, slow down and enjoy doing it slower. Then slow down some more.

Maybe it's Waterproof at the top of the Statler that calls you. Or The Henry uptown. You get to decide whether you'd like something quiet, or the idea of city life thrumming around you sounds like music to your ears. If so, take a trip up to Harlowe, MXM in Deep Ellum, and thrill to being part of an actual throng again.

Carlos Santana said that his father once gave him some advice he'll never forget: He told the not-yet-immortal rock god that if he cast his eyes downward, he would always see trash, pet poop and dirt. Look up, he told his son. Take in the trees, the sky, the birds and the sun. Do that now.

And as the sun sets, you can ask yourself the same question so many are asking these days: Is it really over? Is life 'normal' yet? Will there ever be days as carefree as those childhood memories everyone creates without ever knowing they're being collected?

Maybe you'll never get more than a few minutes of respite from the pressures of doing better, of doing the right thing for those you cherish. But they are still there for the taking.

Peace of mind is free, and while it's great to have memories to recreate, new ones can be made every day. Put some Dallas summer in your pocket, and resolve to do it again and regularly.

Whether we're truly on the other side of the pandemic is worth wondering about. But you have made it to this day. Be happy about it.

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