Sixty-Something: Get into The Hamptons State of Mind

It’s summertime. Almost every day has quintessential “vacation weather,” meaning the weather you fly to in the winter to vacation. As you get older, things like free time means more. When you are young, you feel you have endless time in front of you. You know you don’t when you are in your sixties or beyond. Many feel the East End is the best place to live, own a second home, or vacation at any time of life. It’s hard not to agree. 

“In the zone” usually means you are in an optimum situation, whether in sports, work, or life. A golfer drains long putt after long putt. Pitching a no-hitter or home runs out of the park. For basketball, its player shooting lights out, like when Michael Jordan hit the three and shrugged as he got back on defense. Making a great trade-in business or locking in a big sale.

As a writer, I get in the zone, and words can flow freely onto the page. Other times, it’s just an appreciation for the moment. Here’s what gets me there.

I sit in my special beach chair at my favorite Hamptons ocean beach (Atlantic Beach) as the waves break gently. Occasionally a whale or porpoise can be seen on the gentle ocean horizon. There seems to be more of that regularly these days. The kids are riding buggy boards through the waves rejoicing in every great ride as seagulls soar through the pleasant ocean breezes above. I smile and look at my wife next to me. I know I’m “in the zone.”

Or, you are in your yard, the yard you supervise all year round. Now it’s a summer evening. You stand and look around. The sun is setting as the Weber grills ribs, chicken, perhaps steaks, maybe tuna steaks and yes there are always hot dogs and hamburgers. The aroma permeates through the yard. Everyone in hungry but excited, clutching their favorite cold beverage. It’s a summertime barbecue at home. Yep, this is “in the zone.”

For sailors or boaters, one might be just out of the harbor and entering the bay. For sailors, you are aiming into the wind; your sails start to rise. They reflect the image of the warm summer sun as the afternoon breeze trickles the canvass until they snap, catching the breeze perfectly. If you are a power boater, it happens as you leave the harbor and fire up all your horsepower. That unique roar of your engine at full throttle. Then that initial surge of pure power propels you into that magnificent glide through the bay waters. Yes, you are now “in the zone.”

You can get in the zone by exercising. Runners, swimmers, bike riders, and even folks on long hikes or local walks understand this. Get on your paddleboard or kayak in the perfect rhythm with the universe. 

The water reflects the sunlight like a mirror and the high summer clouds. One hears the birds, fish jumping even the wind blowing through the trees. You work hard on your job to earn these very magical moments. Moments when you are ”in the zone.”

Ever heard the saying, “The fish just weren’t biting?” You’re out of the zone. But when you’re in season fishing Stripe Bass off Montauk, and you get a bite every time you put your line in the water? Fishermen know about being “in the zone.”

Eventually, it’s time to relax. We all have our favorite chair or couch. In the summer, we love the lawn furniture. There is a hammock on an old oak tree in East Hampton that I see when I sail by. It reminds me of one just like in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I used to take long hikes. When I see people in the hammock splayed out with a cold drink, they’re definitely in the zone.

Yes, summertime in the Hamptons presents many opportunities to escape into the “zone.”