What kind of activities does the summer season make you think of? Going swimming? Cooking barbecue at the park? Ask a lot of people what they like to do and you'll get a lot of answers. But, for once, take this moment to consider one summer activity that everybody else seems to hype up, when it's really just a pain in the neck.
This statement might tick off a lot of people, but here it is: the beach sucks. It always has and it always will.
Going to the beach in summer is such a common trend that many won't even question it. It's just a cultural idea that stubbornly remains.
If you live on either the East or West coast, you probably get this kind of question a lot when you meet other people: what do you think of the beach? The beaches must be awesome, right? Honestly, here is what some people think of them: meaningless.
To be fair, beaches surely serve some kind of vital purpose to the world's ecosystems. Plenty of wildlife makes its home near the sand and the sea. It must be that the environment would suffer without them. That's not the topic here. Think about what people actually do on beaches.
Let's say you are not a surfer or a swimmer. You are not a scientist studying the ocean. The pointlessness of building a sandcastle, only to watch it wash away in the tide later, gives you an existential crisis. What is there to even do on the beach?
Read, perhaps? Some folks make a hobby out of reading on the beach. But you can read a book anywhere! No need to visit the shore for that purpose. You could do that at home. You could do that in an office. Hey, you can even do that in a home office.
There's no need to search for a sandy beach chair, pile yourself upon a sheet of hard plastic, and recline in a position that could give you a backache anyway. Why go through all the hassle when you can stay indoors and relax in the comfort of an ergonomic, non-sandy chair, like the kind of chairs you can get at Beverly Hills Chairs?
If beaches really are the kind of environment that floats your boat, then hey, go ahead and choose your own summer memories. The beach has inspired plenty of awestruck or inspirational quotes, pictures, and poems, after all. So clearly it must have some devoted fans.
In truth, though, there are some people who just don't care for beaches. They don't want to get stuck with sand clinging to their feet; they don't want to get eye strain in the bright sun. And that's fine. Don't feel obligated to go there for prolonged hours and love the location just because it's a common summer trend.
If you'd rather stay in with your home or your office, enjoying being surrounded by your windows and all your stylish furniture, then you do just that. Summer memories are up to each person to make. Do what you like and you're "shore" to get a fine experience.
