I Wish I’d
All of us have lots of “I wish I’d” - I do - things I wish I had done, things I wish I had said, things I wish I had seen. And as we get older, the list of wishes grows. When I think of all these, I am reminded of the words from the Lion King’s theme, The Circle of Life…
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
Thus we must choose wisely those things we will do, those things we will see.
On my first trip to Europe, I went with a friend from high school. June had been to Europe before and was kind of acting as my tour guide and travel agent all in one. She was the person who told me to pack only one medium sized suitcase, so we could get on and off the trains fairly easily. And she’d decided when we’d go and to a large extent where we’d go, and, thus what we’d see. Of course, there were a few givens. I wanted to hear Big Ben, I wanted to ride in a gondola, and I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower.
We first went to visit an old high school friend who had moved back to England after we graduated. Although she was born in the states, she’d grown up in and around London and she had really missed it when her parents moved back to the U.S. Besides, this was the seventies and the British music scene was happening. The Beatles were still the rage along with the Stones. And Shirley had always loved music.
After our time in London, on our way to the mainland, we stopped in Dover. I don’t remember why, but we ended up in a little place not far from the famous white cliffs having a bite to eat and I got my usual order of hot tea. And as our meal progressed, I mentioned to June what a wonderful cup of tea it was. And she looked at me as if to say, “Duh?” And while I admit it wasn’t on my list - having a cup of tea while gazing at the white cliffs of Dover is pretty cool.
We took the ferry to Calais and the train from there to Paris. And we wandered about, got a hotel, caught a glimpse of the Louvre and then took the el across town if I recall correctly. And when we emerged from the subway station, we were standing so close to the Eiffel Tower that I didn’t see it. I’d expected to see if off in the distance, not barely 50 feet away from me. Anyway, I glanced quizzically at June and said, “Well, where is it?” And she pointed upwards. And I looked up and back down and up again, and my eyes filled with tears. Perhaps, I’d thought I would never see it. Perhaps, I was just grateful to see it. I don’t know, but I was overwhelmed with emotion. If you haven’t been to Paris, and you’d like to go, may I suggest you do.
The tea in England is amazing. And there’s nothing quite like pizza in Italy or Bratwurst in Germany. If you’re shopping – French perfume, Italian leather, and, of course, German automobiles.
My first trip included Spain although I never made it to Portugal which is where my mother’s family is from. Indeed, Lisbon remains on my list of places to visit. Along with the pyramids. And the Nile.
So, I leave you with words from Patsy Cline’s song, You Belong to Me
See the pyramids along the Nile
Watch the sunrise on a tropic isle…
See the market place in Old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs…
Please.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Christmas in July
Christmas in July
As a business woman, I’ve always gone along with the assumption that the idea of Christmas in July was basically a marketing ploy to boost retail sales during the traditionally flat summer season when folks are spending their money on vacations rather than gifts, but when I thought about writing this piece, I looked it up. Trust Wikipedia to set me straight. It seems the concept can be traced back to an opera of 1892. The opera is based on Goethe's book The Sorrows of Young Werther. I’m not familiar with either the book or the opera, but I do like discovering that the phrase is not just some slogan.
I’ve always wanted to commemorate the idea if not actually celebrate it because the Christmas in December is always so full of rushing about that I often don’t get to appreciate it until after the tinsel decked tree has been put out for the green folks to pick up. Toward that, I may have actually sent cards one year in July which I was thinking about doing this year. OK. Maybe it’s a crazy thought, but at my age I am allowed a few of those. Wouldn’t you agree?
I know why this has crossed my mind again. It’s because I’m feeling nostalgic and when I feel nostalgic, of course, I think of you – my friends old and new who are spread around the globe and with whom I rarely make contact anymore and when I do, often as not, it’s via the social media which are convenient for sure, but are not really very sociable. I’d rather share a meal with you or at least a cup of tea. In lieu of that, then, I may just send you a card.
Later this week, my high school friends and I will celebrate our 50th reunion which seems unimaginable to me. I never expected to live to be 50, let along live long enough to celebrate being out of high school for half a century. OMG! 1965 was a long time ago. And the world is truly a different place than it was then. It would take an entire book to muse about that, so I leave it for another time.
I’m also feeling a bit sad this week because one of my grandkids is at the fair with his pig for probably the last time. He’s a senior now and it’s unlikely that he’ll do another FFA project. Both he and his older brother have participated in the county fair for many years, but those days are coming to an end. And as crazy as fair week is, I will miss it. We’ve celebrated the 4th of July at the fair for so many years, I don’t know what we’ll do next year. Something different, surely.
I don’t like different. I like same. I like comfortable. When I had to do my first report for my MBA way back in ’04 I choose the tiny little book Who Moved My Cheese? It is a discussion of the effects of change and how most of us stay in denial about the need to change until the last possible moment. Or longer.
I’m facing a change at my work that may not sound all that big, but one that has had me in tears many a night since it was announced last January. My 4:30p class was cancelled and I was left facing unemployment. Fortunately, a position opened up, but the new class begins at 7p and runs til 9:20p and it’s in Escondido which isn’t much further for me, but the traffic is horrendous. It’s bumper to bumper for 10 miles. Those of you who know me, know how much I hate traffic. My students in the new class were great, but they weren’t the same. My classroom was great, but it wasn’t the same. My boss was great, but he wasn’t the same. I want my old class back, but it isn’t going to happen. I’ve been told by several of the powers-that-be to give it up. It isn’t going to happen. Let it be.
Those are “crystal words of wisdom” that I find difficult to accept.
I thought about playing some music this afternoon and I was going to kick it old school and choose a vinyl, but when I turned on my reproduction of an old record player, the cd light was on. Curious, I didn’t open the door, I just hit play. And Elvis started crooning the words to Blue Christmas. It’s a sign! I’m going to send cards. You’ll get one if I have your snail mail address. If you’ve recently moved – yet another change – you’ll need to give it to me. J and J, you know who you are.
I used to spend a lot of energy choosing my Christmas card, but I find them much easier to choose these days. In years past, I would have them imprinted with everyone’s name, but I stopped that in 1992. I don’t know why, perhaps because I was alone then, but I do remember the imprint. It said “Grandma-to-be” in celebration of one of the biggest changes of my life. And like most changes, I came to the knowledge of it kicking and screaming! And discovered, as many of you have, that being a grandma is the best present in the world!
So, here’s to you my friends. I can’t tell you to embrace whatever changes you are facing, but I can tell you that you will survive them and in many cases they will help you to thrive!
Merry Christmas!
As a business woman, I’ve always gone along with the assumption that the idea of Christmas in July was basically a marketing ploy to boost retail sales during the traditionally flat summer season when folks are spending their money on vacations rather than gifts, but when I thought about writing this piece, I looked it up. Trust Wikipedia to set me straight. It seems the concept can be traced back to an opera of 1892. The opera is based on Goethe's book The Sorrows of Young Werther. I’m not familiar with either the book or the opera, but I do like discovering that the phrase is not just some slogan.
I’ve always wanted to commemorate the idea if not actually celebrate it because the Christmas in December is always so full of rushing about that I often don’t get to appreciate it until after the tinsel decked tree has been put out for the green folks to pick up. Toward that, I may have actually sent cards one year in July which I was thinking about doing this year. OK. Maybe it’s a crazy thought, but at my age I am allowed a few of those. Wouldn’t you agree?
I know why this has crossed my mind again. It’s because I’m feeling nostalgic and when I feel nostalgic, of course, I think of you – my friends old and new who are spread around the globe and with whom I rarely make contact anymore and when I do, often as not, it’s via the social media which are convenient for sure, but are not really very sociable. I’d rather share a meal with you or at least a cup of tea. In lieu of that, then, I may just send you a card.
Later this week, my high school friends and I will celebrate our 50th reunion which seems unimaginable to me. I never expected to live to be 50, let along live long enough to celebrate being out of high school for half a century. OMG! 1965 was a long time ago. And the world is truly a different place than it was then. It would take an entire book to muse about that, so I leave it for another time.
I’m also feeling a bit sad this week because one of my grandkids is at the fair with his pig for probably the last time. He’s a senior now and it’s unlikely that he’ll do another FFA project. Both he and his older brother have participated in the county fair for many years, but those days are coming to an end. And as crazy as fair week is, I will miss it. We’ve celebrated the 4th of July at the fair for so many years, I don’t know what we’ll do next year. Something different, surely.
I don’t like different. I like same. I like comfortable. When I had to do my first report for my MBA way back in ’04 I choose the tiny little book Who Moved My Cheese? It is a discussion of the effects of change and how most of us stay in denial about the need to change until the last possible moment. Or longer.
I’m facing a change at my work that may not sound all that big, but one that has had me in tears many a night since it was announced last January. My 4:30p class was cancelled and I was left facing unemployment. Fortunately, a position opened up, but the new class begins at 7p and runs til 9:20p and it’s in Escondido which isn’t much further for me, but the traffic is horrendous. It’s bumper to bumper for 10 miles. Those of you who know me, know how much I hate traffic. My students in the new class were great, but they weren’t the same. My classroom was great, but it wasn’t the same. My boss was great, but he wasn’t the same. I want my old class back, but it isn’t going to happen. I’ve been told by several of the powers-that-be to give it up. It isn’t going to happen. Let it be.
Those are “crystal words of wisdom” that I find difficult to accept.
I thought about playing some music this afternoon and I was going to kick it old school and choose a vinyl, but when I turned on my reproduction of an old record player, the cd light was on. Curious, I didn’t open the door, I just hit play. And Elvis started crooning the words to Blue Christmas. It’s a sign! I’m going to send cards. You’ll get one if I have your snail mail address. If you’ve recently moved – yet another change – you’ll need to give it to me. J and J, you know who you are.
I used to spend a lot of energy choosing my Christmas card, but I find them much easier to choose these days. In years past, I would have them imprinted with everyone’s name, but I stopped that in 1992. I don’t know why, perhaps because I was alone then, but I do remember the imprint. It said “Grandma-to-be” in celebration of one of the biggest changes of my life. And like most changes, I came to the knowledge of it kicking and screaming! And discovered, as many of you have, that being a grandma is the best present in the world!
So, here’s to you my friends. I can’t tell you to embrace whatever changes you are facing, but I can tell you that you will survive them and in many cases they will help you to thrive!
Merry Christmas!
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