HomeHomeJune 2002
The summer of 2002 has barely begun, and what should be a happy, carefree season for American adults is one of profound confusion. From world events to national events, keeping up with the news each day has become an exercise so stressful that newspaper subscriptions should come with a daily dose of Valium! As we read about recent scandals, we’re wondering if there is any altruistic leadership left in corporate America or if the country is being run into the ground by a pack of "Gordon Gekkos."
On top of everything else, we’re expected to toil away and take few, if any, vacation days. According to Stephanie Armour’s USA Today article of May 30th, if we are lucky enough to get time away from the office, we’re expected to be within reach of our supervisors and co-workers. Over the last few years, the lines separating work and home have blurred and are rapidly dissolving. And this sad fact of American life may be connected to the rising levels of anxiety and sleeplessness that many people experience, and could even be connected to incidents of "road rage" on our freeways.
In a hectic world, with little time to ourselves, how can we be expected to perform at top levels, and to give our best to our families, friends, and communities? One answer to this "time problem" is so simple, so paradoxical that it seems almost impossible. The way to make time slow down is to take a break away from the noise and "busyness" of our lives and make a conscious effort to spend time alone. A reverence for life and appreciation for all the good we experience in our lives comes with quiet time, rest, and relaxation...and paying attention. Anne Lamott, author of the delightful book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (1994, Anchor Books, New York) discusses how important this is:
"There is ecstasy in paying attention. You can get into a kind of Wordsworthian openness to the world, where you see in everything the essence of holiness, a sign that God is implicit in all of creation. Or maybe you are not predisposed to see the world sacramentally, to see everything as an outward and visible sign of inward, invisible grace. This does not mean that you are worthless Philistine scum. Anyone who wants to can be surprised by the beauty or pain of the natural world, of the human mind and heart, and can try to capture just that---the details, the nuance, what is. If you start to look around, you will start to see."
But this takes time and effort, and Americans need to break away from the concerns of daily life to do just that. A good road trip doesn’t hurt either, even if it’s only to the other side of town to check out a museum we’ve never taken the time to visit or to visit the local gardening shop. Opportunities for inspiration are everywhere, if we remain open and committed to finding them.
Teresa
tcallies@hotmail.com
News, Resources, and Interesting Tidbits...
According to the World Tourism Organization, tourism is a stable sector of the economy. However there is a link between unchecked growth in tourist-popular areas, and increased pollution. Coincidentally, 2002 is the Year of Ecotourism, and according to CNN/Reuters, the Pope recently spoke out on the need for greater awareness nature’s wonders.
Last year during Women’s History Month, Thurston Hatcher of CNN wrote a nice article about exploring American women’s history sites.
American Woman Road and Travel is a fun, informative e-zine to visit for vacation and travel ideas.
Earlier this month, CNN ran an interesting story about a new Dallas museum dedicated to America’s cowgirls, the American Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
Susan B. Anthony Slept Here: A Guide to American Women’s Landmarks by Lynn Sherr and Jurate Kazickas (Times Books, May 1994) is a terrific resource to take along on your road trips, especially if you want to be inspired and delighted by American women’s history.
Taking a road trip across America often means coming across some unusual and downright bizarre attractions. The Roadside America web site is a virtual "must see" before taking an actual road trip. Another good site to visit is America’s Best Online - you’ll get plenty of vacation ideas. The US 50 also offers a wealth of info on each of the 50 states.
This summer, Hampton Inns are offering a special promotion to help "save America’s Mother Road - Route 66."
The June issue of Artist’s Sketchbook magazine offers a number of inspiring articles about jump-starting your creativity, including a fun article by editor Sandra Carpenter called "Painting a Story". She explains how to use vacation photos to create memory books.
Another fun resource is the Summer 2002 edition of Travel Scrapbooks magazine by Memory Makers. The magazine offers a number of articles from photojournaling to travel photo tips to packing tips for the "traveling scrapbooker."
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