2 Surefire Ways To Maximize Your Adsense Earnings

Most webmasters know that Adsense generates a sizeable source of additional advertising income. That is why most of them use it to go after high paying keywords. They have with them the lists that tells what the keywords are and have already used various methods of identifying them. And yet, after putting up these supposed-to-be high paying keywords into their pages, the money they expected to come rolling in is not really coming in. What is it that they are doing wrong?

Having the pages is with the proper keywords is one thing. But driving visitors to those pages is another matter and often the factor that is lacking. The thing is, to get visitors to your high paying keyword pages, you need to optimize your site navigation. Stop for a moment and think about how visitors are using your website. After a visitor has landed on a certain page, they have the tendency to click on another page that sounds interesting. They get there because of the other links that appears on a page that they initially landed on.

This is site navigation. It is all about enabling visitors to move about your site. And one way of maximizing your Adsense earnings. A typical website have menu links on each page. The wording on these links is what grabs a visitor?s attention and gets them to click on one of the links that will take them to another page of that website. Links that have ?free? or ?download? are oftentimes good attention-grabbers. This navigation logic can also be applied to driving traffic to your high paying pages. There are some websites that are getting a lot of traffic from search engines, but have low earnings.

The trick is to try and use come cleverly labeled links to get the visitors off that pages and navigate them to the higher earning ones. This is one great way of turning real cheap clicks to real dollars. Before you begin testing if this same style will work for you and you website, you need to have two things. Something to track and compare and some high earning pages you want to funnel your site traffic to. An option is to select a few of your frequently visited pages. This is ensuring fast result to come by. Now, the next thing to do is think of ways to get visitors viewing a particular page to try and click on the link that will take them to your high earning pages. Come up with a catchy description for that link. Come up with a catchy and unique description for the link.

Think of something that people do not get to see everyday. That will trigger their curiosity enough to try and see what that was all about. You can also use graphics to grab your readers? attention. There is no limitation to what you can do to make your link noticeable. If you are after the success of your site, you will do everything it takes just to achieve that goal. Just be creative. As far as many Adsense advertisers are concerned, there are no written and unwritten laws to follow regarding what they write. Just as long as you do not overstep the guidelines of the search engines, then go for it. Also remember that it is all about location, location and location.

Once the perfect attention grabbing description has been achieved, you have to identify the perfect spot on your page to position that descriptive link to your high paying page. There is nothing wrong with visiting other websites to see how they are going about maximizing their site navigation. ?Hot pages? or ?Most read? lists are very common and overly used already. Get to know the ones that many websites are using and do not try to imitate them. Another way of doing it is to try and use different texts on different pages.

That way you will see the ones that work and what does not. Try to mix things around also. Put links on top and sometimes on the bottom too. This is how you go about testing which ones get more clicks and which ones are being ignored. Let the testing begin. Testing and tracking until you find the site navigation style that works best for you site.

CPP_author Howard Martell is the Owner of http://HomeProfitCoach.com/classifieds . Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

How To Pick a Legitimate Home Business Opportunity

You’ve seen the emails, the offers, the promises and the claims. Everyone it seems has a way to help you make money online. But how do you know who you can trust? How do you know what system works? How do you protect yourself? The fact is that you CAN earn money online from legitimate sources, here’s what to look for when picking an online business opportunity.

Products or Services with actual value Many companies including large companies like Amazon and ClickBank offer what is known as an Affiliate marketing program, or sometimes called a Reseller program. This allows you to promote a company’s products or services and earn a commission when a sale is made through your website link. The key in knowing what is legitimate is to be sure you are actually promoting a real product, or a digital product, or an actually service. Beware of selling anything that seems without substance, and has no real market value. An example of something suspect would be getting paid to recruit people into a program who have not paid any money to do so. All business online and off works when there is an exchange of money for a product or service.

Pyramid schemes exist online and off and are an example of focus on recruitment into a program rather then the sale of an actual product. In the case of a pyramid scheme, and example is someone paying to join a program but receives no product or service of REAL value in return. In short, make sure that you are actually selling something of value.

Customer Service and Support Legitimate companies that sell actual products and services will support or service what they sell. In other words, good companies will have a Customer Support Department, or a Service Department or Technical Support division to assist customers who have either bought a product or intend to do so. Reputable companies offer this support in any number of ways, online chat, support forums, Twitter, Facebook, telephone support, or online support.

Time in business Legitimate business opportunities most trustworthy are often those that have stood the test of time. On the web it is very easy to set up a company, sell questionable products and services, then disappear into the night when the business practices come into question. When picking an online business opportunity select a company that has been around for at least a few years. Companies that continue to exist are usually those that demonstrate an interest in keeping their customers happy, are accountable, and adhere to policy and legislation that permits them to provide a product or service.

Reputation When picking a reputable business opportunity people will often look to review sites for feedback from others. This can offer you some interesting details about what people think about a company and how the company responds to complaints. In reading the reviews though keep an open mind knowing that no company exists without complaints against it. Good companies that you would want to associate with, are those that try to address customer complaints or resolve issues brought to their attention.

People with an axe to grind will sometime post negative reviews and hide in the anonymity of that post. So be smart when reading review sites, and look for dates, patterns or themes and try to separate the intelligent comments from the less helpful and questionable ones. Look before you leap When you decide on which business opportunity you wish to join, be sure to take your time and read over what you are agreeing to before you sign on the dotted line or hit the submit button.

Determine what your up front cost is, your monthly cost (if any), your ongoing cost? What happens if you want to cancel, is there a guarantee, or is there any long term obligation or a penalty for cancelling? Find out how your sales will be tracked, how often will you paid, for which services and how will you be paid. In summary, here are 5 questions to ask yourself for any company you are considering for a home business opportunity.

1. How long has the company been in business? What is their reputation?

2. What is the product or service you will be selling? What is the value in the market place? There should ALWAYS be a product or service being sold.

3. What is the initial cost to get started in the business? What do you get for that amount of money? What are the ongoing costs?

4. What kind of support or service will you receive as an Affiliate Marketer or Reseller for the company to help you make sales? What kind of support of service will the people you refer receive when they make a purchase?

5. How much money are you paid by this company when you make a sale, how often, and how will your sales be tracked? These questions and information contained within are a guideline to help you make a smart decision about an online business opportunity that is right for you. One final bit of advise. Once you have found a company to represent be sure to be realistic about your earnings and accept some responsibility for your own success. At the end of the day, your success comes down to you, and your efforts. It won’t matter what business opportunity you select if you don’t take the time to learn about the program, learn how to market online, and make an honest consistent effort to build your own success. I hope this has helped you so you can select one or more legitimate companies and you can join the growing population of people making money at home using the power of the web.

About the Author Sandi Hunter is the President of Worldprofit Inc., a company providing training and support for small and home based business since 1994. Services include home business training, reseller programs, affiliate marketing training, earn-at-home programs, traffic tools, advertising, webcasting, hosting, design, WordPress Blogs and more.

Find out why Worldprofit is considered the # 1 online Home Business Training program by getting a free Associate Membership today. Republished with author’s permission by Howard Martell http://HomeProfitCoach.com/classifieds .

Reach Customers Efficiently With This Mobile Marketing Advice

A mobile marketing campaign is a great way to reach a large amount of people with very little money or time invested. Most people now own some type of mobile device, including cell phones and tablets. Integrate your mobile marketing efforts with your other marketing plans. By having mobile marketing blended with online or print marketing, you present a consistent message to your customer or client base. At the same time, allowing your customers to perform the same activities via multiple channels such as mobile applications or web sites further increases the value of your customer interactions. Enhance your text messages with other forms of communication.

Make use of multi-channel marketing. One form communication isn’t enough for today’s audience. Each style of communication has its own set of pros and cons. This is why it is best to use more than one. Try sending direct mail, e-mail and a text right before something important happens. Have a goal. Do not start a mobile marketing campaign until you know exactly why you want to have one. You may want to have extra revenue or draw in more readers, but whatever the reason, you need to track the information you receive to find out if your program is really successful. Let customers give you feedback. Some mobile marketers have outgoing only messaging, meaning that a customer cannot text them back without going through a lot of hassle.

Let your customers talk back to you to improve the focus of your plan, and know if you may need to do something differently. Develop an app. Apps are programs for mobile devices that interact with customers in many different ways. They provide easy access to your business through the program the customer installs on their phone. Make your app useful and appropriate to attract the most attention and downloads from your current and potential customers. Make sure your customers know their business is appreciated.

Give them special offers, discounts based on hallmark goals or even a simple thank you note. They need to know you value their business or they may take it to someone who will go that extra step. Keep your material clean in order to keep your brand clean. Sending out raw, unfiltered material, even if you think it’s worthy of attention, can be detrimental to your mobile marketing efforts. Things don’t have to be outlandish to draw attention. They just have to be worthy of someone’s time.

If you often have great sales or give-aways, consider using SMS to get the word out. Text messages shine in their ability to cut through the clutter of an otherwise busy, application-filled mobile device. The messages usually trigger a pop-up notification on the system, making SMS a terrific choice for getting the word out about a sale that can’t be missed. But be careful to only text message customers who have signed up to receive them, as many people feel SMS mobile marketing is invasive. It could have the opposite effect than your intent. You should expect mobile marketing to grow since the use of mobile platforms keeps increasing.

Within the next few years, most people will own a smartphone. The best way to take advantage of this trend is with a solid mobile marketing strategy. By using the these tips, you will be ahead of your competition and in position to effectively promote your products through this new form of marketing. Good luck with your mobile marketing campaign.

Howard Martell is the Owner of http://HomeProfitCoach.com/silver . Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

This is Really Fascinating! – It could Explain a Lot

howard, a whole lot of my followers are in
the network marketing or direct sales business 
– but I don’t know which of you are and which
are not so I’m sending this to al of you.

The information applies to ANY entrepreneur,
not only networking and direct sales folks.

I just talked with a long-time friend, George
Madiou, who is the founder and publisher of
TheNetworkMarketingMagazine.com 
I don’t need to tell you what his magazine is 
all about – the name itself does that, right?

Although I have worked with more than 150
MLM companies doing tax savings education,
what George shared on the phone with me,
was truly fascinating!

If you know me very well, you know that I have
the inquisitive mind of a 4-year-old – I never
grow tired of learning something new! In fact,
someone once referred to me as a “Career
Student” – which is pretty accurate actually.

What I’m about to share may totally surprise you!

Here’s what George Madiou shared with 
me that I found really fascinating…

We all have experienced that a relatively
small percentage of MLM’ers make the vast
majority of money, but I have always wondered
(a) why is that, and (b) how is it that a relativity
small percentage “make it” and a relatively
large percentage NOT “make it?”

If we could solve that riddle, maybe some of
the “didn’t make its” could join the “made its.”

TheNetworkMarketingMagazine.com’s
research revealed that only 30% of all
people who join an MLM opportunity are
truly “in it to win it.”

3% of them are in it to win it AND figure out
(usually on their own) HOW to win it.

The other 27% WANT to win it, but don’t
know HOW to win it.

When the sugar coating is scratched away,
maybe 70% are simply looking for fast-cash, 
easy-money, tax deductions, camaraderie, 
false-promises or they think that they just 
bought themselves an MLM Lottery Ticket.

In trying to “help everyone,” most MLM
training is aimed at the “masses.” What if
70% just want the car or the house or the
big income, but don’t want to actually
work to make it happen?

What if George’s research is correct? What
if 70% of the “masses” are not really interested
in success strategies, or motivation, or learning
conversation-starter opening-lines, or “using
the tools to do the talking,” or setting goals
and targets, etc., etc., etc.?

WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS FAILURE

The failure of large-class-size public school
education has something to teach us…

When a teacher is trying to teach 50, 60 or
even more in a single, huge classroom, there
is only one way to do that. The teacher has
to take the subject matter and “dumb it down”
so that most kids “get it.” What happens?

Most kids get passing grades, but kids that get
left behind are the brightest, most gifted few.
How will those few ever fulfill their potential to
become leaders, if we teach them to be followers?

School systems learned from that failure and
created Charter Schools and Honors Classes
because “mass education” was letting-down
the few who were destined or determined to
lead tomorrow’s world.

WHAT IF…

If George Madiou’s research is correct (which
I suspect it is), maybe it’s time for the network
marketing profession to make a critical shift in
their philosophy on training.

Perhaps the current training programs are fine –
for 70% of the people who enter our industry.

But what if they added “Honors Classes” and 
“Accelerated Training” for those between the 
70% “masses” and the 3% high-achievers.

It’s time for a special program for the 27%ers!
The ones who are treating their business like
a business, who are in it to win it, who are
committed to making themselves successful.

CHANGE HAPPENS SLOWELY.
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR NOW?

Through TheNetworkMarketingMazaine.com
George Madiou has joined forces with the
famed success guru Dale Calvert, to create
the “27%er SUCCESS SYSTEM,” an elite
program, without elite pricing.

George and Dale have just created a 
“charter school” or &ldqu o;gifted program” 
or “honors class” for the “hungry-for-
support” network marketing 27%ers.

And, trust me, it is amazing!

They have brought together some 200 of 
the biggest names you have ever heard of.
Names like Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Denis
Waitley, and Dr. Shad Helmstetter just to
name a few.

Check it out. Get a Trial month for just 97₵. 
https://yestomysuccess.com/SpecialOffer

What’s the Mission of the
27% Success System?

It is to empower the “current-27%” into the 
“current-3%” category through accelerated
teaching, leadership principles, mentoring
and master-mining, coaching, role-modeling,
proven-success-blueprints – training that
goes beyond what most networking companies
are providing today.

George Madiou told me “This is not a substitute
for company-provided training,” it’s a turbocharger. 
It’s like graduate school. It adds a new level to 
what companies are already doing well.

Big-name network marketing companies are 
already embracing the “27%er Success System”
as an invaluable extension of the training they
are providing internally.

Some are referring to the 27%er Success System
as the “graduate course” or as an “advanced 
street-smart, practical coaching program.” 
Check it out. Get a Trial month for just 97₵.
https://yestomysuccess.com/SpecialOffer

WHO IS THE 27%err Success System FOR?

▪ New network marketers looking for
the shortest path to the holy grail.

▪ Committed network marketers who
“just can’t seem to break into profit.”

▪ Successful network marketers who 
are ready to kick it up another notch.

▪ Company Owners & Leaders in
network marketing who are looking to
identify those 27%ers in their company
and to support them in a special way.

▪ MLM corporate trainers who would
consider integrating the 27% System
into their own corporate training program.

IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?

Find out by test-driving it. Trial month just 97₵.
https://yestomysuccess.com/SpecialOffer
Then, if you want to continue, membership
dues jump waaaaaay up to … a mere $27 a 
month (the price of a couple Starbucks.)
Is your business worth it?

That’s it. Really. I joined myself and I’m simply 
paying a flat 27 bucks a month. No add-ons.
No upsells. No kidding.

AND (get this) the little 27-dollar monthly
membership is 100% tax-deductible!

I’m in. The water’s fine. Want to jump in
and join me?

If you are ready to learn about the “missing piece”
of the MLM success “puzzle,” check it out here
and get the 97₵ first month “Try Us Out” bonus
https://yestomysuccess.com/SpecialOffer

Helping THOUSANDS to SAVE a BUNDLE,
       Dr. Ron Mueller, MBA, Ph.D.
Author, Speaker and Small-Biz Tax Educator

P.S. — By the way — between you and me… 
This appears to be so good, that I am thinking
about adding it as a Recommended Resource on
my website, https://HomeBusinessTaxSavings.com
YOU TELL ME. Should the 27%er Success System 
be added to it? I think so, but you tell me. Giv e me your 
thoughts at author@HomeBusinessTaxSavings.com

Improve Your Blog With This Amazing Advice

It’s important to share your passions with others and one way to do this is through the use of a blog. Whether you are traveling abroad, wish to keep in touch with those at home or simply want to share some tips and tricks with others, blogging is a great way to do this.

Read the following tips for some great blogging advice. An excellent tip for blogging is to make use of WordPress. This particular platform is extremely flexible with the various plug-ins that are used when it comes to blogging. WordPress is being utilized by over 12% of a million of the largest websites. It is currently the most popular CMS being used today. Headlines are what your readers tend to read first. They act like bait. If your bait is good, they will “bite” into the blog post too. However, if your headline is dull, repetitive, commonplace, predictable, or just not intriguing at all, your readers may decide to skip the entire thing. An important part of having a blog is to voice your own opinions.

Find a subject that you are truly interested in and are knowledgeable about and then put yourself out there. People like to hear the opinions of others. Opinions usually get a reaction and reactions garner readers and comments. You need to post regularly if you want readers to visit your blog over and over. Posting new items frequently keeps your readers’ interest so that they’ll keep coming back. The best blogs have regular content posted to them at least once every day.

If you can’t imagine maintaining that pace, then pre-write several weeks’ worth of content. This content can be used when you do not have time to develop content or are having difficulty coming up with content. Design your blog to keep not just the reader’s interest but also your interest. If you grow bored with what you are writing about, you won’t be likely to keep blogging. Even if you do, the quality of your writing will suffer. Your readers will be able to tell that your writing has lost some of its punch. Have your blog feel friendly and warm to visitors. Reply to comments that people leave, and this means more than just thanking them, try to have real conversations.

If you can develop a relationship with your readers, they will tend to be more loyal to you, and keep coming back. Make sure you blog is in good health. This simply means performing the regular maintenance a blog page requires for smooth operation and posting highly interesting, updated content. This ensures that your readers always enjoy visiting your blog. If you can, you should make use of a custom WordPress theme. In today’s time, readers have the ability to recognize themes that are very generic in nature.

Using these generic themes are just fine as long as you change up your header design so that it is more unique. Starting a blog doesn’t have to be as complicated as you may think. By using the tips above, you are well on your way to starting your very own blog. No matter what the use, it is sure to be a success with the wonderful information in the above article!

Howard Martell is the Owner of http://HomeProfitCoach.com. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

To learn more about how utilize mobile marketing strategies visit my site at https://gbtlp.com/?p=2&ref=Homeprofitcoach

How To Thank Your Customers Using Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is one of the latest and greatest methods of advertising for business of many kinds. If it is done correctly, it can really increase the traffic to a website or number of customers to a store. Use the following tips to help you incorporate mobile marketing into your marketing plan. Make your messages relevant. This is the most important aspect of mobile marketing. A text message can be very personal and it interrupts someone no matter what they are in the middle of doing.

Avoid re-purposing an e-mail. Your text message should be short and very relevant to the audience whom you are sending them out to. Offer special discounts or value to your mobile marketing customers. Because mobile followers usually require customers to elect to receive information, make it worthwhile for them to enroll.

By offering greater discounts or better offers than those available through your web site or print marketing, you can increase the number of customers enrolled in your mobile program. Be short and concise with your SMS messages for your mobile marketing campaign.

Messages are limited to 160 characters, so put some thought into how to convey your information clearly yet briefly. If you use abbreviations in your messages, make sure they are commonly accepted and make sense to your customers. Make sure your advertisements work for all types of mobile devices. If your programming is only accessible by one type, like an Android, you will lose out on entire populations of prospective clients from other platforms. Using cross-platform programming is the best method to attract the most customers to your business. Get a location. Using a defined location on your media and mobile marketing actually interests a lot of customers.

They like knowing where a business is, should they ever choose to visit that area. Take advantage of this by informing your customers of your actual location, and watch their interest grow. Decide now whether you’re going to use QR or 2D codes in your mobile campaign. Your audience may not understand how to leverage certain technology out there, so you need to ensure that you’re going with something current, popular and people-friendly.

You’re marketing to basic folks; not everyone will be tech-savvy. Your natural inclination may be to send out unsolicited messages with your new mobile marketing campaign, but spamming people is never the way to go in any campaign. It is a huge turn-off and can possibly leave a permanent stain on your reputation and cause you to lose regular customers. Enlist the help of friends and family to try out the effectiveness of intended advertising campaigns, mailings, websites and more.

To get a truly unbiased opinion, you could pay an outside firm to test out your campaign. Take the tips that you have learned through this article and apply them to your marketing plan. Your business is sure to benefit from the time and the energy that you put into your mobile marketing campaign. Keep with your plan and you are sure to see the results you seek.

Howard Martell is the Owner of http://HomeProfitCoach.com. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

To learn more about how utilize mobile marketing strategies visit my site at https://gbtlp.com/?p=2&ref=Homeprofitcoach

About Dr. Lant

Dr. Jeffrey Lant’s regular Blogs Why I cancelled my Boston Globe subscription after 50 years. Auld Lang Syne. The best of friends must part

By Dr. Jeffrey Lant

I have just cancelled my subscription to the Boston Globe. I have had this subscription for over 50 years, thereby making me one of the dwindling number of people who have invested their time and money. Why did I take such an astonishing step?

In a word, I have watched the Globe tumble from the pinnacle of journalistic excellence to a dull and commonplace rag.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, whose prose has never been published hereabouts would ask the telling question. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Sadly, the list has declined and declined again so that the story of a once proud newspaper. Certainly, one of the best in the land has become warmed over-dross.

When I first came to Harvard in 1969, opening up the Boston Globe in the early morning was a thrill. For the writing was rich, exuberant, confident, and unparalleled. This was the way journalism was meant to be and my first book Insubstantial Pageant: Ceremony and Confusion in Queen Victoria’s court even received a review that heralded a new writer on the horizon who, their well-known book reviewer Herb Kenny, predicted would further grace the vibrant Boston literary scene often in the years to come.

It was fun in those days to scan the columns of the Boston Globe for in all departments intelligent, knowledgeable, expert, literary folks were there in full array. Then things began to change for the worst. The Taylor family which had overseen since 1872 its prized property left far-sighted people gloomily prognosticating that this was the thin edge of the wedge and that no-good could come of the decision to disengage. The Boston Globe was sold to the New York Times for $1.1 billion in 1993. The knowledgeable experts around the Hub joined in Jeremiad and they would write. There are certain benchmark indicating the beginning of the end.

Mike Barnacle, one of the superb writer admitted in one of his column that he was guilty of plagiarism and he was then summarily dismissed on August 6th, 1998. The incident was unfortunate, but the punishment was excessive. It was indeed throwing out the baby with the bath-water. There seemed to be a pall over the city on a hill.

Then, the eight-hundred-pound gorilla that is the internet, came along to change Bean Town. Not only the Boston Globe but the worlds. Expert opinion predicted doom and they were right. It was not merely a route, it was a catastrophe. The Globe needed top-notch commentary and reportage, but they needed to get it done on the cheap.

Columnist like Kevin Cullen, Alex Beam, and Derrick Z. Jackson put out millions of words but not one memorable phrase. Here you see, people like this going through the motions of writing, copy worth reading. Joan Vennochi gets it right more often than not, but she is a rare example in a periodical that has lost its way.

The next disastrous decision was to devote page after page to sports. More sports and more sports again. John Henry, was one of the angel of death for journalism that was important and insights into the daily events, he owned the Red Sox and bought the Boston Globe for 70 million dollars in 2013 and was a gray presence overshadowing the land. As a result, we got endless pictures of muscle men patting their posteriors.

And so, when I picked up my Boston Globe today something snapped in me. And I cancelled my subscription immediately. Enough was enough. So today, with heavy heart I kiss goodbye, my once favorite publication. I doubt, there even will be a slightest pang to mark this sad event, which has been a long time coming and richly deserved.

Sic transit gloria mundi

Howard Martell is the Owner of http://HomeProfitCoach.com/silver . Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter

Summer guilt, ‘A Summer Place’, Anne Hutchinson and fare home in the dog days.

Summer guilt, ‘A Summer Place’, Anne Hutchinson and fare home in the dog days.
by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
Author’s program note. I’m telling you right from the get-go. I am going to write this article in the tempi of summer… starting with andante non troppo and ending with non troppo, andante be damned. I go even further: sizzled by sun, devoured by the fastidious creepy crawlies which abound and find my pristine flesh delectable, and urged by all to “slow down and smell the roses,” never mind that the roses have wilted hereabouts weeks ago and now give scent only a little and begrudgingly, if they even give scent at all.
These weighty matters, the stuff of every summer, all say the same thing: weary voyager you have earned your rest, sit down in the shade a spell and savor it. I (say I) want to… but it is so very difficult to do….
Guilt.
The first thing you should know about summer is this: it is (for me and my kind) the most guilty season of the year; each day the conflict grows between what my grandmother said (and exemplified) and summer’s adamant insistence that the least be done and slowly at that. It is a battle fought yearly in my brain, the more so since I am now that iconic age — 65 — the age at which we are outfitted in truss, battered panama hat, a good cane, more free time than anyone needs, and a one way ticket to the eternal destination.
Yes, in my mind’s eye, it is one of those happily oppressive summers of endless heat… and tasks only a beloved grannie could even hope to get accomplished…. “First, move those flagstones over there….” In the home of this matriarch and in those of her offspring, the devil’s luring ploys for idle hands were not just an adage; they were present realities and if one were not always alert, the wiles of Old Scratch would be one too many for us; and we should be lost to God, Family, and the American way.
And so summer meant work… so much so that even summertime recreational rights and observances often seemed more like work than work itself: “Tuesday, 10 a.m. swimming class. Remember, Jeffrey has a dentist appointment right after. He can change in the car.”
This was my summer, every summer, punctuated by Y.M.C.A. Day Camp, which I found exquisite torture. Forced hilarity and good fellowship of the exuberant kind perpetuated by the Rotary Club and exemplified by “Kumbaya” and college-age torturers masquerading as activity directors, “Hey, Jeff, get the lead out”, were not for me. This I demonstrated succinctly when, during archery practice, I ran away and walked miles along melting asphalt highways to announce I would NEVER GO BACK. And I never did…
… so concerned parents sent me instead to Christian summer camp, where my father made it clear Jesus would take a very dim view if I escaped… and so I remained, memorizing more Bible verses than anyone. It was not because they were the sacred sentiments of my ancestors… but because winning was better than losing, a sentiment I adhere to to this very hour… and which makes forced idleness, even for recreation and “fun” abhorrent to me… and frightening. Without the incessant labor epitomized by my forefathers, I should be utterly lost, without anchor, in a universe that frightens anyone with a lick of sense, and that I surely have.
Music. It is now time to introduce you to the music that accompanies this article. There are hundreds of songs about summer that make us want to join the chorus and belt out a happy tune. But the “Theme from A Summer Place” is so very right for the honor. It was written for the 1959 film, lyrics by Mack Discant, music by Max Steiner. Many people had a hand in the success of this little number, which was so simple as to be inane. Yet Percy Faith (so aptly named) turned it, his instrumental version, into the number-one tune on the “Billboard” top singles chart in 1960; its run of nine consecutive weeks in the top position remains the all-time record.
But it is the version by “The Lettermen” which causes us to stop, hear again, and somewhat remember and mumble the insipid lyrics that still tug at my heart as if I were 13 or so, an epoch as distant from me and my current circumstances than if warbled by Queen Victoria. We believed the winsome lyrics then, and a part of us believes them still:
“There’s a summer place/ Where it may rain or storm/ Yet I’m safe and warm/For within that summer place/ Your arms reach out to me/ And my heart is free from all care/
Go now to any search engine, and you will find it in its many versions, testament to the fact that it tugged at many hearts… and in our turbulent world still has its undeniable allure.
Summer People, Summer Place.
Until my father’s annual vacation came, summer did not call us away from home. Except for one great aunt or cousin, we knew no one with a summer place. Hers, in approved Midwestern fashion, was at “the lake”. One never said which lake, and it would have been mal vu to ask. The right people knew, and that was sufficient.
Instead, we used the pool in our shaded backyard or the municipal pool which was more likely to be in Naperville (where my mother’s older brother resided with his unloved Ultramontane wife Marce) than in Downers Grove where we lived. The water at Naperville was a shade of khaki I have never seen again and tasted of unwashed immigrants and people one was not encouraged to meet, much less befriend. It was, however, not merely acceptable but crucial to our way of life to share such municipal services. It made us the Good Citizens we purported to be.
Dog Days.
All this came home to me yesterday as I walked through the dried grass of the Cambridge Common, for the Dog Days of August, dies caniculares, are always days of remembrance, days slow, hot, and lazy that are so perfect you know they will not last. And so even before they are gone, we begin recalling them as so much ancient history. And that is just what I was doing, moving slower than my wont, forced by the heat to give up speed and see everything before it, too, was gone.
In this spirit, I saw a young man and his girl immobile under the great maples, still for a few weeks verdant, not yet a riot of inimitable color. They were bedraggled, wan, vying to be the unhappiest, either because she had now discovered the limitations of her adolescent love or because he not only knew these limitations but knew she knew them.
Almost in unison they piped up out of their lethargy and called for my attention. I was recalled to reality and that meant The Touch, the God-given right of the down-and-out of every place and time. Could they have a dollar? I was senior, I was well stocked with life’s benefits… I could afford to spend the time, my attention, and a small act of unexpected kindness. “Why do you need it?” “To go home.” “And where is that?” God supplied the answer, “Providence.” It is the place we all want to go, and I was being asked to expedite their passage. And I did.
I took $20 from my pocket and handed it over, pausing for just a minute to capture them in my eternal eye, so young, dazed, but given a happiness the three of us would long remember. Their thanks and “God-bless yous” were fervent, excessive.
Before I left, I told them about Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643), one of history’s most important women, sometime resident of Cambridge. Hair-splitting doctrinal differences caused her separation from the Puritan establishment of the town they raised as the center of their theology. “My way or the highway” was their solution to problems like this popular woman of heresy and schism, for all that there was no highway, scarcely a path in the woods.
Undaunted, Mistress Hutchinson knew God would assist her… and so He did, for she, banished from the Puritan’s utopia, found instead a place of God’s beneficence, a place called Providence. Now my young friends were going there, going home, and so was I, each step taking us closer to our destination, as resolute, determined and confident as Anne Hutchinson, who along with the Reverends Roger Williams (1604-1684) and Thomas Hooker, (1586-1647), (whose plaque on the Massachusetts Avenue side of the Common is so often obscured by bushes), helped shape the conscience and tolerance of a great nation which has never stopped needing their humanity and empathy.
“For it knows, there are no gloomy skies/ When seen through the eyes/Of those who are blessed by love/”

Howard Martell is the Owner of http://HomeProfitCoach.com/silver . Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter

Everything with Dr. Lant, we cover everything.