Sometimes I answer calls marked as potential spam because telemarketers and I get along ever so well.
During one of those moments I was asked by the fine fellow on the other side if I had any upcoming plans to go anywhere.
“I am going to travel in June.”
Not sure if I mumbled or if the line broke up but he asked me if I said something about “Traveling June” and I said I did.
“I am in a band of called The Traveling June & Sweetcheeks show.”
He told me he had never heard of it and I said there was a time when we were the hottest item around and everyone wanted what we had.
“We were Internet famous and big in a few cities here and there.”
“What happened to you. Did the band break up? Are your songs on iTunes?”
If you know me you know this was the sort of opening I couldn’t resist so I told him for a while we opened for Johnny Cash and sometimes June.
“You know life happens and sometimes it forces changes upon you. Band didn’t officially break up, it went on hiatus. Might get back together, might not. If you search for “Judy’s Porch” and or “Neville’s Substance” you’ll get chance to hear us. Not sure you can find digital copies, might have to go for vinyl.”
I can’t tell you if he totally bought into it, but he asked enough questions for me to think maybe he did. Can’t tell you if there are songs with those names because as far as I know I made it up on the spot.
I wasn’t kidding when I said I expect to travel in June as I have been on the road roughly every month this year and expect that to continue.
Haven’t been long trips, most have been relatively short, with relative being the operative word.
Met someone the other day who didn’t take their first plane ride until they were in their thirties and had an interesting conversation about it.
I don’t think it was for lack of desire, I think for a long while it was lack of funds and then a lack of time or so I suspect.
I didn’t press them on it because I didn’t want to make them feel bad. There are legitimate reasons why some people haven’t traveled.
But my kids will tell you I am an advocate of seeing other places and spaces. Travel broadens the mind and widens our perspective. It helps you see the world in a different way.
I am fortunate to have been all over the states and on multiple continents but I still haven’t seen all that I want to see or done all that I want to do.
Been thinking about it quite a bit recently because you can’t wait to do everything until you retire or at least most of us can’t.
Most of us aren’t in positions where we can pick up and go any time we want or at least I don’t think so. That might be a comment that I need to flesh out.
But for the moment I’ll go with what I know from my experience and my friends.
Prior to the birth of children many of us did travel. We went all over the US and to various countries around the world. That changed when we became parents but the scope varied.
Regardless I have reached a point where I want to go back to some places I have been to look at them with ‘older and wiser’ eyes.
And I want to visit multiple other cities/countries that I haven’t been to yet. You can’t take money with you and you can’t ignore the value of experiences.
During the past six months I have had a variation of the same conversation with my children.
“You appreciate what you work for. If it comes too easy you don’t always recognize the value.”
Each time it was tied into commentary about someone else who had it easy. In concept they were right each time about these other people having it easy.
Unless there were things going on behind closed doors that we didn’t know about they had relatively easy lived.
The kids are pretty good about not comparing themselves to others. We made a point to ingrain that in them early because there is always someone who has more and always someone who has less.
I reminded my son about the kid he went to school with who was getting beat up by his father. We didn’t know about that for a long time, but it explained some behavioral things.
It is not hard to see the value in having less and not worrying about whether your dad is going to hurt you.
Still I understand where they were coming from because I have had moments where I have looked around and shook my head at the good fortune of others.
We’re human and sometimes you look at others and think it must be nice taking over a successful business and never having sleepless nights about bills or other things.
But then again there are things money can’t fix and I have seen first hand how that can provide it is own frustrations.
Struggle builds character and teaches us how to handle adversity. We’re all going to face it at some point so there is value in having had to manage some of it earlier on or so I advised them.
I believe it to be true but if you asked if I do because I was forced to I might say yes.
Ultimately I don’t think that matters or not. It simply is and things that simply are require certain responses.
Spend time with the people that are important to you and make sure you let them know they are cuz life happens.
