The light of the current goings-on in the United States, may I humbly offer the following quote from a great leader.
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
Sir Winston Churchill
No, not heat, but rather packing for a trip. This task is alternately mundane and thrilling in that it has to be done and yet ratchets up the anticipation for departure. Since I travel frequently, I usually have a bag ready to go. It just needs the final essentials and I’m ready to head to the airport. However, from time to time, I’ll dump the same bag and repack it with some fresh or key articles that are trip-specific. Thus, comes the inevitable decision about what to leave behind which typically leads to regret during the trip. “I should have brought that!”
Either way, it’s always good to be prepared. Pack light, pack early, and pack orderly.
…counting since that first human footprint on the moon. It took brains and guts to sit atop a missile aimed at the moon, going where the odds of survival should anything go wrong were slim to none. And things had gone off plan several times before. Still, three men, climbed into the capsule to take those odds. They beat them by climbing back out alive several days later.
When you’re feeling weak or not up to any particular challenge, think of the Apollo 11 crew and all the support people who made it possible for this incredible human achievement to be logged in the history books. If they did it, you can do it, too.
I was just wondering how many readers of The Bent Page still send post cards to friends, family, and/or coworkers while on vacation or traveling. I mentioned earlier that I write a fair amount of letters. (This is an effort to stem fountain pen unemployment.) At the same time, whenever I travel, and frequently when I’m parked at home, I send a number of post cards, too.
Post cards were the twitter and email of the past. Sooner or later, they’ll probably disappear, replaced by another electronic form. The trouble with all that electronic stuff is that the formats change, the devices become obsolete, and data is inevitably lost. Certainly a post card (or letter) could be lost, destroyed, or otherwise rendered illegible. At the same time, you can simply pick the thing up, flip it over, and there it is.
My collection includes several large shoe boxes stuffed with cards. It’s a joy to flip back through them, triggering memories and conjuring up adventures. They’re also a great time keeper thanks to the post marks (should they be legible). Furthermore, they give an indication of the style of the day, what was hip in photography and design, as well as destinations and interests.
So when you’re out there beyond the horizon, or just around the corner, drop someone a card. After all, you get a thrill from receiving them don’t you?
The Bent Page 