Beach towels are great for drying off—shame they also insist on hiding all the good scenery.

Then again, every now and then a towel forgets its duty—and suddenly the scenery gets a whole lot more interesting.

College football season is here—time for touchdowns, tight pants, and plenty of eye candy.

Summer has always felt like the perfect season to escape into a good book. Back in grad school, I kept a growing stack of books by my bedside all year long—almost always gay fiction, mostly lighthearted romances or mysteries—waiting patiently for summer break when I wasn’t buried in academic reading. There’s something especially satisfying about choosing what you want to read and getting lost in a story just for fun. So I’m curious—what are you reading this summer? Do you pick lighthearted fiction, or dive into something more serious like history, biography, or true crime?

🎶Don’t go chasing waterfalls 

Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to 

I know that you’re gonna have it your way or nothing at all 

But I think you’re moving too fast🎶

—“Waterfalls” TLC

The lyrics above are from the song “Waterfalls” by TLC. They speak not only to the swift, dramatic plunge of water over a falls, but also to the way people often let life rush past them—always chasing the next thrill or achievement—until suddenly, it’s over. Good advice often goes unheeded when someone is determined to forge their own path, even recklessly.

While the singer warns of the chaos that can come from moving too fast, she also urges thoughtfulness and peace. The chorus reminds us to live each moment fully and intentionally, making the best of the time we have.

This perspective echoes the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius in Meditations: “Dwell on the beauty of life,” and “Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”

Take a breath. Find your river or lake—and appreciate its quiet beauty.