Stranger Solstices, 2021 Dublin Off-Lockdown, a blog
Strongly beckoning was some plot to celebrate the upcoming summer solstice in a few days, in some way befitting of my time here in Dublin. I recall fondly that first year realizing that, despite the longer darker winter days, there was an upside in June here that would blow my little upstate New York brain. My first summer solstice was on the rooftop of the Gibson hotel, taking in with disbelief the sunset at 9:57pm, after a nice 17 hour stretch of daylight. It’s no Scandinavia, but for where my life had been anchored, at a lower latitude of the US, it made me reflect a lot about relative positions.
This grand annual peak of the Earth’s tilt towards the celestial was fast approaching now again for the 9th time for me here in Dublin. Now an Irish citizen and a pandemic (or least it’s lockdown aftermath) finally waning. Now, more uncertain than ever of my many fateful paths forward into the unknowns of where, what and how I’ll be living my life. I thought, this is a good time to take a bit of stock, hit pause once again to marvel, not for a new year, not for a birthday, but for something just as arbitrary and just as majestic. A radial degree of tilt, and radial degree of rotation around the sun, that seems to put a sun tan on smiling faces across the north. I find myself in worship of the sun and the bodies she governs.
While plotting in my deeper psyche this celebration of summer, I wanted something memorable, but it had to feel natural. So imagine my surprise when I found myself summoning the surreal unexpectedly today, one perfect day, just 2 days early. It was something different, and in these times, different is always welcomed. Just now settled into some comfort after mourning the loss of my dad, returning to Dublin in May for a few more bouts at interviewing and the daydreams of my life’s next act.
Ireland just weeks out of lockdown in the beginning of June, they’re longest stint throughout, and a delayed sunny Irish summer finally hitting her stride just in the nick of time. I had even gotten back into an overdue gym routine, which usually wouldn’t be of note. But I bring it up now because I think it was the combination of the week’s lifting and accelerating running pace that brought me to a sleepless night, shocked and jolted with adrenaline.
I couldn’t explain why, but after averaging about 10:30AM wake-ups for the better part of this year, I found myself out of bed at 4:30AM to greet the sunrise… hesitantly, like putting your hand out for a strange mutt. I was in a delirium but enjoyed the photography of this rare gem of a normally lost part of my day. I felt overtired and wired all at once, and decided that I liked the confusion of my phasing state, and that I owed it to the sunrise, to not retreat back to my slumber. And since I had owed my new exercise routine to this crack addict like sensation, I decided immediately that maybe, just perhaps, I could ride this wave, be a bit chaotic, act the part of the lunatic today. Be something different. Reboot my nature.
So I booked a 7am gym slot, watched a movie while I waited, and for the first time in probably 5 years headed out the door to have a morning overachiever workout! It was great, I listened to a comedy podcast from Rainn Wilson, and lifted mostly, trying to moderate myself away from the treadmill. Hell, I did not know what kind of fumes I was actually running on. On leaving, the juices were flowing and I kept myself strictly dialed into the lunacy frequency so I didn’t suddenly crash. So I made a big protein breakfast back at my flat and continued to scheme, scheme, scheme away my mischief.
I wish I could bring along through the day, and I wish I could overpromise all it’s treasures and wonders. To be honest, a lot of it was just contemplation, random movies, random wanderings through my neighborhood. So I’ll say, maybe it wasn’t a perfect day, but it was an extraordinary day, because I kept the lens of weird and absurdity over my actions. I did make it out into a 60F sunny day, I walked along the Liffey to find everyone enjoying their Saturday. I negotiated a terrace patio table at the Mayson Hotel, a new haunt I hadn’t enjoyed since last lockdown ended in the sumer of 2020. I had a delicious American style cheeseburger, drank many pints of Moretti and Guinness, and threw caution to the wind on what I had left in the tank, only to embrace the moment of frivolously forgotten joy.
I wish I had the the strength of will to complete these tales for you the reader. But more importantly I fear that I’m taking myself out of a very real, truly extraordinary present by doing so. Hmm, am I? Because just sitting here typing this on this windy summer terrace, I feel like I am continuing to add to the perfections of sparkling present living.
As for the future, tonight I hope to keep that celebration going, as I gaze at the late dipping 9:57pm sunset for a solid 17 hour day, enjoyed in the daylight supremely. And maybe perhaps it’s 2 days premature of the astronomically correct summer solstice, but hey what’s 11 seconds of daylight difference in my day? I’ve been taking fleeting moments of glory like that for granted the past 2 years, maybe longer. No, I’ll enjoy the fleeting and the frivolous today, as the sun has intended, if only to wink at this spot of the Earth with one snapshot of summer, before boomeranging us back around for another loop. God bless the loop, and God bless the impossible capture of a single moment.
Paul Carreo 