Blow Stuff Up This Weekend
a short stream of consciousness for the Fourth of July.
The Fourth of July has a strong case for being the best holiday on the calendar.
It has no religious affiliation or alignment with any specific race, creed, or color.
If you’re one of the ~350 million American citizens? Congrats, the day belongs to you.
Beaches, beers, pool parties, sunshine, the peak of summer…it’s a holiday that’s evocative of all the simplest and most cherished pleasures in life.
It’s the night of July 3rd at the time of writing, and the celebration already started here in Florida.
We had the fifteen minute or so cacophony of a professional fireworks show this evening, which has now led to the intermittent pops and claps of amateur-style imitations later into the night.
This Isn’t About Fireworks
Yeah, the old bait-and-switch.
What good am I as a burgeoning internet creator if I don’t hone my clickbait skills?!
“But John, I’m smuggling $x,xxx worth of Roman candles and mortars back from Pennsylvania, can’t I blow those up?”
Sure, but do be careful unleashing your celebratory artillery.
A Jason Pierre-Paul style incident can really put a damper on the day.
Sooo…what’s getting blown up then?
We’re fortunate to live in such a time where technology enhances our human experience and makes us more intelligent and efficient than ever before.
Social media and big creators regale us with tales of personal productivity and health know-how, oftentimes from high horses the height of the Freedom Tower.
That’s the type of stuff we’re blowing up this weekend.
#1- The Optimizing
Almost everyone these days has some sort of tracker or health device affixed to them. My Oura ring is making a clicking sound against my keyboard as I type this.
Whoops, Apple Watches, Garmins…the list goes on.
And you know what?
Caring that much about your health is awesome.
However, we can get far too caught up in cortisol-inducing loops of feedback.
My resting heart rate is up!
I have minor symptoms, something is straining my body!
Only 74% recovery last night!
This weekend is a perfect time to rip that to shreds.
(This is feeling kinda like eating Crunchwrap Supremes all over again)
I’ll spoil the fun, so you don’t have to run to your gadget for the answers after:
Yes, a hangover will strain your body.
MyFitnessPal will not be in love with 3 hot dogs, 2 cheeseburgers, and 7 White Claws, macronutrient-wise. (It’s best to just not even enter all that tbh).
These devices, powerful and useful as they are, don’t log and track joy, serotonin release, and calories burnt from belly laughs.
Those can be the July 4th weekend major health indicators.
(PS- all this coming from a guy that called the gym to make sure they’re open tomorrow AM. I get that the separation is easier said than done)
#2- The Almighty Phone
Chances are that if you’re really close to someone and they’re important to you, you’ll be physically with them these next few days.
The inundation of notifications and texts and IG stories and FOMO…it doesn’t have to play a role this weekend.
If you’re spending IRL time with your Emergency Contacts, why not put the phone away altogether?
Spend that precious dopamine on sunshine and loved ones instead of the umpteenth boomerang of drinks or koozies clinking (also we’re still making boomerangs?)
#3- Take Some Shots
Yeah, maybe literal ones. Go for it.
I’m talking shots here as in shots on goal.
If you’ve got some downtime, or one of the days has less than ideal weather?
Create something, post that picture if you’ve been taking care of yourself and you look good, send that risky DM before you put your phone away (that’ll actually help with that- “I can’t look!!!”)
Hell, join the party here on Substack if you’re so inclined- the more the merrier.
Could be the start of something great, and you’ll have an easy date to remember as the origin of it all.
Putting it all together
July 4th weekend is a celebration designed for fun- the responsibilities are low and the environment is ripe for a good time.
It would be awfully ironic to spend a holiday centered upon freedom chained to the shackles of normalcy and routine.
(and I promise you, it’ll allll be waiting for you again on Monday morning).
So go have some fun.
Blow stuff up.
Just don’t do it like this:
Happy 4th and lots of love,
John Abbate
7.4.2025
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