Hot single summer
The season of freedom in my Fuck-It 50s.
It’s Sept. 1 and I thought I would take stock of the summer of 2024 — yes, I know summer hasn’t officially ended.
Now, when I wrote “hot” in the headline for this post, I didn’t mean hot as in “sexy”. I partly meant hot as in sweaty because, well, it was hot and humid this summer, and I was certainly hot and sweaty at times. You will see what I mean below.
Here is a rundown of some of what I did this summer:
In June, I visited Sable Island, a remote island 300 kilometres off the coast of Nova Scotia. I went for a work trip and am writing stories about the island, including its famous wild horses. I have long been fascinated with Sable and feel incredibly grateful to have had the chance to go to a place not many people visit.
I joined the barn chore team at the stables where I take horseback riding lessons. As a member of the team, I spend several hours on a Saturday, shoveling horse shit and filling water troughs. To some of you, this may not sound ideal but for me, it is a chance to be around and learn more about horses, get a very good workout, and get a free lesson after each barn chore shift. I leave each shift and hot, sweaty, dirty, and happy mess — this is where the hot part of hot single summer comes in.
I became a much better rider. I always said horseback riding is about training the human, and not the horse. And after almost four years of riding — two with a professional trainer — I feel like a competent and confident rider. I still have a lot to learn, but I have come such a long way and never would have imagined I would be riding as well as I am now. Also, I have fun and laughs at every lesson.
I got into birdwatching! Okay, you will laugh because birdwatching may seem like an activity for seniors, but it is so much fun. It gets me outside exploring and learning about birds. I love the beauty, variety, and behaviour of birds. I can't believe I didn't start birdwatching sooner. I am so close to getting one of the black-capped chickadees that visit my back step from eating out of my hand.
I had some excellent road trips, including one to Advocate Harbour, Nova Scotia where I treated myself to dinner at a restaurant called Wild Caraway. I was on my own, but a table of four invited me to join them. It turned out they were readers of the Halifax Examiner — I wrote about that trip here. We had a lovely night of laughs, stories, and amazing food. I met some other interesting folks on that road trip, too.
Also, my anxiety is much more under control after one year on meds. This is a work in progress, of course, but I feel so much better than I did this time last year. I am not letting terrible thoughts ruin my life.
But while I may have been single and by myself this summer, I didn’t accomplish much of what I did without the talent, support, and company of others.
I got to Sable Island with the support and financing of my boss. I am a better writer and reporter because he gives me a platform for my voice. I became a better horseback rider because of my excellent, patient, and talented coach. I had good times on road trips because of the company that tagged along or invited me to join them for dinner. I continue to have laughs and love from my daughter, even though she’s an adult and living her own life. And I have friends and doctor who supported me when my anxiety was out of control.
Part of all this is that I am settling well into my 50s. I am calling this the Fuck-It 50s because I am firmly done with bullshit. I like to think I have always been like this, and focused mostly on my goals, but now I really done. I would rather be the type of person who tries and fucks up instead of the person who sits back and makes fun of the person trying and fucking it up.
When I say it’s unfair to find The One person who is supposed to “complete” you, this is what I mean. You will always find all kinds of people, in various aspects of your life, who have your back, who teach you, who support you, regardless of your marital status. That is what my hot summer was all about. I look forward to every season of my Fuck-It 50s and beyond.
As always, thank you for reading,
Suzanne
Summer single