Childhood fears are common and unique to each of us. One of the ironies of growing up in a safe neighborhood and secure family is that our fears tend to be a bit silly in retrospect.
You've maybe seen the meme that says, "When I was a kid, I thought quicksand was going to be a much bigger problem than it turned out to be." It must have been all those Tarzan movies, maybe Gilligan's Island. The quicksand was always cleverly hidden and waiting to foil the escape of the bad guy or provide a chance for the hero to rescue someone.
The scariest things in my childhood were badgers (not the University of Wisconsin kind) and stepping on tacks. I haven't encountered either as an adult but I'm sure its only because I've been on alert for about 50 years now. My vigilance started after it was rumored that a badger was seen in the neighborhood and one of the kids I was with told us that a badger could bite off a person's leg. I think it was the same summer I stepped on a tack and I can still feel it going into the bottom of my foot. It wasn't very painful but it was such a weird feeling it makes me grimace to think of it even now.
I'm relaxing a bit about the badgers now but still wear sturdy soled shoes. No sense taking chances this late in the game.
Monday, December 9, 2019
Monday, November 4, 2019
10 Lessons from a Road Trip
In the fall of 2018 I went on a long road trip. It lasted six weeks and covered a little over 8,000 miles. I learned a few things and feel compelled to share them.
1. I listened to over 10,000 songs. My thought is that no song needs to be more than three and a half minutes long. Maybe four minutes if you're writing the next "American Pie" or "Bohemian Rhapsody" But really, most songs rely on repetition after the two minute mark, and repeating it once is enough. Would you like me to repeat this paragraph 3 or 4 times. Nope, I didn't think so--songwriter's take note.
2. Pack snacks you like, not one's you think you should eat. That way, you won't have to throw out those slimy carrots or those inedible rice cakes.
3. If you're in Nevada, get gas and go to the bathroom when you have a chance.
4. People are kind, people are weird, people will smile in return, people like to help. Maybe I just got lucky and only met the best of the best--but to a person, everyone I met and interacted with, was polite and kind. They smiled back when I smiled at them. A few went out of their way to be helpful to me. Several brightened my day with their comments and talk. I'm not denying that there are some people who cause mayhem and violence and bad feelings--but my experience didn't include that.
5. The national parks are amazing and surely one of this nation's greatest treasures--individually and collectively. I made it to about 20 national parks and each one was well run, uniquely beautiful and sometimes breathtaking. I rarely ventured in past the roads there than short hikes and still was impressed with each one.
6. I loved my time alone, loved, loved, loved it but I was well aware that I had people at home waiting for my return. Being alone when you know you have someone to come home to makes all the difference.
7. GPS is great but sometimes you just have to look at a paper map to get a sense of where you are. And where you want to go.
8. Go your own speed--whether you're hiking, at a museum, eating alone in a restaurant, or driving on the LA freeways for the first time. Go your own speed and don't worry about what anyone will think.
9. Sometimes you're better off putting your camera/phone down and just looking.
10. Don't worry about how you look, I promise, someone will always look better and someone will always look worse. It just doesn't matter that much.
1. I listened to over 10,000 songs. My thought is that no song needs to be more than three and a half minutes long. Maybe four minutes if you're writing the next "American Pie" or "Bohemian Rhapsody" But really, most songs rely on repetition after the two minute mark, and repeating it once is enough. Would you like me to repeat this paragraph 3 or 4 times. Nope, I didn't think so--songwriter's take note.
2. Pack snacks you like, not one's you think you should eat. That way, you won't have to throw out those slimy carrots or those inedible rice cakes.
3. If you're in Nevada, get gas and go to the bathroom when you have a chance.
4. People are kind, people are weird, people will smile in return, people like to help. Maybe I just got lucky and only met the best of the best--but to a person, everyone I met and interacted with, was polite and kind. They smiled back when I smiled at them. A few went out of their way to be helpful to me. Several brightened my day with their comments and talk. I'm not denying that there are some people who cause mayhem and violence and bad feelings--but my experience didn't include that.
5. The national parks are amazing and surely one of this nation's greatest treasures--individually and collectively. I made it to about 20 national parks and each one was well run, uniquely beautiful and sometimes breathtaking. I rarely ventured in past the roads there than short hikes and still was impressed with each one.
6. I loved my time alone, loved, loved, loved it but I was well aware that I had people at home waiting for my return. Being alone when you know you have someone to come home to makes all the difference.
7. GPS is great but sometimes you just have to look at a paper map to get a sense of where you are. And where you want to go.
8. Go your own speed--whether you're hiking, at a museum, eating alone in a restaurant, or driving on the LA freeways for the first time. Go your own speed and don't worry about what anyone will think.
9. Sometimes you're better off putting your camera/phone down and just looking.
10. Don't worry about how you look, I promise, someone will always look better and someone will always look worse. It just doesn't matter that much.
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