A Hodgepodge of Summer Thoughts

 This week got away from me, so rather than my usual deep dive into a particular subject, I’ve pulled together a hodgepodge of thoughts and reflections that have been floating through my head this week.

Today in 1975, Steven Spielberg's film Jaws was released, transforming the summer movie business and making countless viewers afraid to go into the water. This was also a book that I read after seeing the movie and both impacted my fascination with Sharks and the scary thing that swim beneath. At that time in our lives, we spent most of our summers in Clear Lake, my 9 and 11 year old sisters were literally afraid to go in the water, which gave my brother and I ample ammunition for tons of teasing, either doing the da-da --- da-da --- da-da song or swimming under them and grabbing their legs and yanking, eliciting screams.

One of the great off shoots of Jaws, not the sequels, they sucked, was shark week on Nat Geo. A whole week of Flying Sharks, shark feeding frenzies, seals swimming for their lives, orcas vs. sharks and shark attack horror stories, like the USS Indianapolis, 900 went in 300 came out, chilling. I looked forward to it every year with great anticipation. The genre has now been exploited, with shark shows on multiple channels throughout the year. Back then, though, the thought of the pre-historic perfect eating machine, lurking below in the vastness of the deep blue waiting to pounce was truly haunting.

Today is the summer solstice which marks the longest day and shortest night of the year, when the North Pole is tilted closest to the sun. It usually occurs between June 20 and 21 each year and is a reminder that summer is in full swing.

Father’s Day was last weekend which is a great day for reflection and for gratitude. I have always believed that Father’s Day was a “Hallmark Holiday”, dreamed up by greeting card companies in collaboration with Kingsford Briquettes, and Oscar Mayer Wieners to boost summer sales. But it turns out the day has a far more noble origin. The first official Father’s Day was celebrated in 1910 in Spokane, Washington, created by Sonora Smart Dodd to honor her father, a Civil War veteran who raised her and her five brothers alone after their mother died in childbirth.

News of this tribute spread quickly, within days, seven national newspapers featured the story.

By 1916, President Woodrow Wilson helped promote the holiday from the White House. But unlike Mother’s Day, Father’s Day faced decades of resistance and was nearly forgotten. It wasn’t until 1972, that President Richard Nixon signed legislation making Father’s Day a permanent national holiday.

This week the Buss family, owners of the Los Angeles Lakers since 1979, have reportedly agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise—for $10 billion. That’s billion with a B. This is the same family that ushered in the legendary “Showtime” era of the 1980s, led by Magic, Kareem, and Worthy. Ten billion for a basketball team makes you wonder what franchises like the 49ers, Cowboys, or Yankees are worth now.

Yesterday, I spent the day in San Francisco, attending a funeral in the morning and a dinner with friends later that evening. There’s no denying that “The City” has changed in recent years, but it still holds a pull for me. Maybe it’s the sense of community, maybe it’s the memories of what once was, or maybe it’s the hope for what could be again.

It’s Beau’s Birthday tomorrow, its hard to believe that it’s been 1 year since I became a grandpa. Happy Birthday Beau.

@ChuckBarberini - #ChuckBarberiniRealEstate - @ChuckBarberiniRealEstate

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