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The Uncertainty of Travel, circa 2017.

Fun times abound.

If you travel somewhere, there’s about a gazillion warnings the CDC will throw at you. (I know they’re trying to do their job.)

And airports will inevitably warn you against bringing a contaminated fruit across the border. But, the list is crazy long now.

What was the last one you saw when you traveled abroad?

I think I was asked about 5 times one morning whether I had a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in my pocket or not. I kept shaking my head and thinking about how much that company probably regrets going live with their product.

Flammable. Watch out! Everyone might die!

And I read signs before we boarded the plane about airborne contagions, and I saw about one hundred (all men) in line to board a plane to Las Vegas with face masks on – not making eye contact with a soul.

And I was asked if I knew whether I was headed to a country with Zika infestations. My wife and I, of course, were.

The cold shoulder of travel. A few lines were check marked by the customs lady. We went West, South, and then more West, unsure of whether a mosquito bit us or not.

The signs in the airport said to take precautions against birth defects, etc., if you came into contact with a disease.

(No wonder Orwell’s 1984 is the most downloaded book online today.)

I’m still unsure of what (if anything) bit me last Christmas. But, like any good American, I’ll wait for the inevitable – for question marks to become periods. For rest to come and end the worry.

They’ve all gone to bed in the beds of their choices. – Dr. Seuss

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Scary Things

tiger-stare

Great post-Halloween topic:

What scares you?

This doesn’t have to be an Ichabod Crane fear toward Sleepy Hollow, or anything.

Plain and simple – what causes you to experience some trepidation?

  • Talking to a stranger in an elevator?
  • Driving to your in-laws for the holidays?
  • Cooking with chick pea flour?
  • Watching a marathon of Katherine Heigl movies?
  • Mouth-breathers?
  • Long-winded history lecturers?
  • Large arenas filled with an opposing team’s obnoxious fans?

 

Whatevs…

Step out there my friend (I’m taking my own advice here).

What better time of the year to stand firm and work through a petty fear?

November is a month of tackling stuff, I’m learning. 

A month reserved for dodging the razor (“No Shave!), writing a book (NaNoWriMo), eating enough turkey to make you cry (tryptophan). November has it all.

So, keep tackling those fears. Whatever they may be!

Stand up. Give Thanks. Pray for hurting families. Ride a horse bareback. Take a family portrait with an awkward John Hughes theme. Give Thanks. Listen to that one uncle’s ridiculous tall tales. Memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address for kicks. Bring back an “outdated” hairstyle. Give Thanks. November is waiting for you to step up and be awesome.