The most problematic thing about me is that I still measure the success of my year by how well my summer went. I said this to a close friend once, lamenting that I hadn’t taken advantage of Michigan’s scant summer months and was therefore entering an autumn of regret for not soaking up more sun while I could.
He looked at me incredulously and said, “Well, I’m not a kid anymore, so I don’t pin my happiness on a successful summer.”
For a moment, I thought he was right. I felt like an idiot — like an immature little kid.
But now that we’re halfway through the summer, I believe he was terribly wrong.
There are so many rainy, gray days throughout our years in Detroit that I think it’s absolutely imperative that we do everything we can to feel the sun on our skin, to sweat, to call out of work on a beautiful day or when a friend pops into town — or for whatever reason you deem important enough.
And how you go about that is up to you.
For me, something as simple as getting to Belle Isle to lounge and read a book can feel like a major victory. It’s like going to the gym just to use the sauna and do nothing else. I’m proud of anyone for going at all. Setting the wheels in motion usually means that you’ll do more once you arrive.
That could mean spending a little more than you would’ve liked on that summer cabin rental somewhere on the water Up North (we can debate where Up North actually starts another time). Or befriending that person you maybe don’t like that much just so you can get invited to their family’s cottage and not have to spend anything. I’m not judging you!
Whatever brings you bliss in the summer months, I say chase it with abandon. And sure, embracing this sort of blissed-out hedonism can be dangerous.
But the older I get, the more I realize that chasing a childlike dream of having a perfect summer is a valiant pursuit.
This is grim, but when I think about being on my deathbed, I know I won’t say, “I wish I’d worked more. I’m so glad I didn’t call out of work to go to that baseball game. I’m happy I didn’t take a half-day to see that friend from school I hadn’t seen in forever.”
Abandoning responsibility — responsibly — is one of the most rewarding things you can do.
And finding yourself soaking up as much of summer as you can — like a kid numbering the days before they have to go back to school and reality — is a great way to live, if you ask me.
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of In the Groove on 101.9 WDET, Detroit’s NPR station (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.).
This story originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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