long days, short nights

i am in love with the long summer days. 9pm with sunlight reminds me of being in college, sunburned and reckless. the past few nights, i have spent the end of each day on my front porch. and it's there i have my first quiet moments. instead of diving into the next project or cleaning up, i just go outside and breathe. i need more of this in my life.

seasons and music seem to spark the most vivid memories from my past. and the combination of summer and The National seem to open a flood gate of nostalgia.

i still remember the first time i heard The National. and i often recount details from the first time i saw them perform (sometimes in routine so that i don't forget) ... we were so close. i couldn't get enough. the second time i saw them was outdoors in Chicago. and the third, pregnant with lucy. it's almost like an obsession when you begin following a band before they become really popular. you are able to stalk them in smaller venues in different cities, and their earlier albums carry a secret sense of belonging.

The National's songs pop up in my mind several times during the day, sparked by different situations or key words. Cherry Tree gets the most plays these days. early this morning as my body rejected sleep to recite lyrics ... Lucky You was on repeat. there is nothing i can do. i never thought i'd be someone who didn't like the nighttime. i would like to keep these long days and short nights for a while.

Lucky You

Every time you get a drink
And every time you go to asleep
Are those dreams inside your head
Is there sunlight on your bed
 

And every time you're driving home
Way outside your safety zone
Wherever you will ever be
You're never getting rid of me

You own me
There's nothing you can do
You own me

You coulda made a safer bet
But what you break is what you get
You wake up in the bed you make
I think you made a big mistake

You own me
There's nothing you can do
You own me
Lucky you
You clean yourself to meet
The man who isn't me
You're putting on a shirt
A shirt I'll never see
The letter's in your coat
But no one's in your head
Cause you're too smart to remember
You're too smart
Lucky you