See Real Life Before You Rust

Roman aristocrat at Coliseum

Because of a recent Sunday School lesson I was thinking about aging and getting aged and, as odd as it seems to me, thinking about me getting old. I suppose, given the choices, I had rather get old than the alternative. I know I need to live for a longer time as I have two great-grand sons to see get raised correctly. It is very possible I shall have to give advice and you know I hardly ever do that. Oh, and there will probably be more babies as I have four more granddaughters and three grandsons who haven’t had any of their own babies yet. Yes, you are correct, I shall probably have to live to 101 just to see everybody gets off to the correct start. ...and furthermore, may I repeat, I hardly ever give advice but am always available when needed.

Most of you will remember that I have traveled on occasion and have met some wonderful people in other wonderful places. Whilst riding a city bus in L’viv, Ukraine I noticed the front-right side of the bus was empty. I asked our guide why she wouldn’t sit there as she was standing. The lettering on the wall of the bus said that those seats were served for “senior citizens” and one could be fined severely if a senior need that seat and you were in it.  Now that is what I call a civilized country. That’s not all.

In almost every place we visit out of the USA we notice we are almost catered to by others who see to it that we get on the bus, elevator or through a door or whatever. It seems to be part of other country’s DNA to assist the older members of the population and not run them over because they are slow and in the way. Other places/people do this aid without being condescending and that makes it nice. It is hard to get used to or accept when you are not always treated this way.

Part of our problem, I would have to think, is that the people of the USA are in a hurry. It seems that we rush through everything and that also means we rush through life. Yes, it starts very early. Our little kids are in a hurry to get to school, then they have eyes for little else but to get to drive, then to graduate high school and then get a “better” job or graduate college. Why the hurry? What about all the good things that could be happening while you were rushing through the healthiest part of your life.                                                                                                                 

Typical beach scene in Mexico

 

Not every kid in every country is like this. Many zillions of European, New Zealand and Aussie kids put on a back pack and go trekking across the world. They work at what they can, when they can and then travel on. There are youth hostels all over the world that cater to these backpackers and they are a delight to stay in. These kids meet other people, form temporary friendships, sometimes travel together and then move on. Some of them have already entered the world of work and they decided not to participate just yet. They exchange information that is valuable to fellow travelers and also exchange warnings.

Scene in Italy

 After doing a months long trip or more, they have a better idea of what the real world, the whole world is all about and they can better adjust to it. I would have to say that most foreign kids are not as xenophobic as many, if not most, American kids are. Think about kids from a small town and think how many of them have ever gone out to see the “real world” or real life. Young people from a small village in Germany may travel all across Europe without giving it a thought. It is hard to think of a youth from Smallville, USA who would travel backpack border to border by him/herself.

typical scene - Cuba

This is what I want my grand and great-grand kids to do. They should get out and see the world as it is, not just as the travel magazines and tour guides tell them it is. Get out and meet real people in real people circumstance. Meet people from small villages and not just city landmarks. Since I am going to have to live until I am 110 just to get them raised, I may even go with them. (Just to make sure they are all right, you understand.)

Cozemel

Blue Mnts, Australia

Travel Is More Than A Trip

                                    Travel Is More Than A Trip
In his book, “Quiet Mind,  One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World,” David Kundtz wonders “when traveling stopped being fun and became...what? Challenging!” Wellsir, to me traveling has always been fun AND challenging. Yessir, you who are ahead of me know that the greed of the airlines has made traveling harder as they are less focused on their customers needs as on their stock holders profits. No, no, do not get me wrong. I do believe that airlines should make a profit as they need to do so to get me from here to there. After saying that, however, I do not like being treated as if I were a steer loading into a cattle car. Actually, I think Darrell and Rupe treated their cattle with more care than some airlines treats their passengers.

Oh well, I suppose I could always hitch hike and take my chances on “Freddie” or “Chuckie” driving by. But no, I shall take the airlines and do my best to make the trip worthwhile. That is the key, I believe, to make something good of whatever happens. Recently a five member family needed to get back to the USA to start work again in two days after they arrived home. After being bumped, changed, ignored and several other completely asinine things that happened, they arrived at 2:00AM and went to work the next morning. Their 12 hour trip took 52 hours.

Now you are asking yourself two questions since I am not there to answer. (1) Was it worth it? and (2) Would they go to Europe again? The answer to both questions is an unqualified “YES.” Traveling away from home gives one the best way to appreciate home and his own country. Even if the airline people were horribly inefficient and uncoordinated, these people got to see sights only available in person at the site. These children now know that if there are problems they can be overcome.

You probably know from past records that I love to travel. Herself often says that we cannot go back to the same places as there are too many things and places to see to repeat. ...and yes, we have “sorta” violated that as we have been to Australia several times. Australia is large enough to see and do different things each time although visiting family was a priority.  Oh, to the uninitiated, we have been to all 50 US states and most of those we have visited several times so we have followed Will Rogers’ rule.

Americans are usually in too big of a hurry when traveling. We have not invented Star Trek’s “Beam me up, Scotty” yet so we have to travel at the speed of flight instead of the speed of light. To many American travelers I have seen and talked to, a two hour wait is the equivalent of being placed in a penitentiary cell. The fact that they will soon be traveling at close to 600 miles in only one hour and will get to their destination in the time it took their fathers to get to the next city. OK, I won’t even mention that they can go to Europe and visit several major capitals and be home in less time than it took their great-grandfathers to just get to Europe. I won’t even mention that.

Before leaving for any trip one should mentally prepare him/herself. When going to a foreign country one could learn a few phrases as most of those foreigners would appreciate you at least trying to speak their language. ...and furthermore, when a foreigner does not understand you it does not help him understand if you keep yelling a little louder each time. Bless their hearts. They have spent an entire lifetime speaking their native language and many Americans expect them to instantly be fluent in English. (Don’t tell anyone I said this but many rural Americans are not all that great at English).

Any trip is more enjoyable if one can learn to relax and expect the unexpected. Herself and I were going to Aussieland and had a dreaded five hour layover in Dallas. Wrong! We had a five hour layover in Tulsa and only arrived a few minutes before our once a day flight leaving Dallas. Yep, we were about to get nervous as time kept moving on but we didn’t. The delay was in Dallas but some people were harsh to the Tulsa workers. Hey, relax, dude, you are alive, well and, except for your overhanging belly, doing pretty well. Some people force themselves to not see past the moment. While we sat in Tulsa we thought about seeing Sydney again riding the train again and seeing actual live kangaroos eating on the lawn.

Travel maybe is a challenge and maybe is annoying at times but it is also one of life’s greatest pleasures. Get up, go somewhere and enjoy life. Vaya Con Dios.
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