Take a vacation this week!
“A vacation is like love – anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort and remembered with nostalgia”
~~~
The above quote is often true; it certainly was in the case of my cruise that ended last week. Traveling to and from Europe is not what it used to be. The transatlantic flights in coach are cramped, long, and accompanied by bad food. The flight only seems better when you have finished waiting in long lines going through intensive screening procedures and sitting in cramped waiting rooms. In our case there was also the extreme discomfort of our ride from shore to ship in France that I told you about on Friday. But once we made it to our floating hotel and leisurely visited ports in the Greek Islands, France and Italy all was well with our world.
While I was at sea I thought about vacations and what they do for me and probably do for many others. I think too often we think about vacations as just planning, going, being there and coming back. It is what happens during the “being there” that makes them special. I wondered at the time if it wouldn’t be smarter if I thought about the little things that give me pleasure and how they fit into vacationing. Here are a few things that ended up on my list. I like:
- To get away and drop out, leaving the drudgery of the day-to-day stuff behind.
- To see something special that gives me pleasure, it might be a sunset, an old building, a work of art or a busy street scene.
- To meet interesting people who live lives different than mine and especially those who enjoy life.
- To try foods that is different than those in my normal diet.
- To bank memories through a picture or trinket that will trigger visions of the good times.
There were a few more things on my list but you get the idea. What got me when I finished was the fact that I can vacation almost anytime. While I love cruising and will continue to do so since it covers almost all that I like, there is no reason to limit myself to cruises.
All I need to do to drop out is to do it. I don’t need to run away in order not to feel guilty because I didn’t do something others wanted me to do. All I have to do is tell everyone I am going on a short term home sabbatical and not feel guilty about doing so.
As far as seeing something special is concerned, I must admit that those things exist all around me and are too often ignored. There is no reason that I can’t take my camera and spend my time seeing my city, its buildings, attractions, and it’s people.
As far as new and interesting people are concerned, they are everywhere in my city. I have found that by going out to a seminar, a community event, working as a volunteer, and taking an interest in the people I meet everyday adds luster to my life.
As far as foods are concerned, there are ethnic restaurants all over these days, but I don’t even have to go that far, all I have to do is try something on the neighborhood restaurant’s menu that I never ate before.
When I think in these terms I can see that my memory bank does not have to be loaded only a few times a year it can be loaded every time I give myself a home vacation, be it a day, a weekend, or a week. We all can enrich our lives; all we have to do is start.
~~~
“The test of an enjoyment is the remembrance which it leaves behind”
Jean Paul Richter
~~~
A guy walked into his friend’s office, he found him sitting at his desk, looking very depressed.
"Hey, what’s up with you?" he asks.
"Oh, its my wife," replied the man sadly. "She’s hired a new secretary for me."
"Well, nothing wrong in that. Is she blonde or brunette?"
"Neither, He’s bald."
~~~
It’s always darkest before dawn. So if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.
~~~
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM FOR STUDENT ATHLETES
Time Limit: 3 WEEKS
1. What language is spoken in France?
2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions -OR- Give the first name of Pierre Trudeau.
3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to
____ (a) build a bridge
____ (b) sail the ocean
____ (c) lead an army or
____ (d) WRITE A PLAY
4. What religion is the Pope? (check only one)
____ (a) Jewish
____ (b) Catholic
____ (c) Hindu
____ (d) Polish
____ (e) Agnostic
5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters?
6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5?
7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately)
8. What are people in America’s far north called?
____ (a) Westerners
____ (b) Southerners
____ (c) Northerners
9. Spell — Bush, Carter and Clinton
Bush: __________________________
Carter: __________________________
Clinton: __________________________
10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five.
11. Where does rain come from?
____ (a) Macy’s
____ (b) Kmart
____ (c) Canada
____ (d) the sky
12. Can you explain Einstein’s Theory of Relativity?
____ (a) yes
____ (b) no
13. What are coat hangers used for?
14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country?
15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium -OR- spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS.
16. Where is the basement in a three story building located?
17. Which part of America produces the most oranges?
____ (a) New York
____ (b) Florida
____ (c) Canada
____ (d) Wisconsin
18. Advanced math. If you have three apples, how many apples do you have?
19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corp.) stand for?
20. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)?
____ (a) B.C
____ (b) A.D.
Signed _______________________
~~~
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
Anthony J. D’Angelo
~~~
Stay well, do good work, and have fun.
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies.
The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray's Daily 
Leave a Reply