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Episode
185 In Praise of Slow Traveling
“Lets
stop” my daughter said after biking 5 miles one early morning. We
were on a 6
week bike trip in Ireland and Wales and were on our 5th day.
Our
mantra had been that we were “where we want to be”. We
discouraged setting
demanding goals and biking fast. We accepted the rule that the speed of
our
group should be determined by the slowest biker. On this day after just
5 miles
we stopped. We were on the Ring of Kerry in southwester
This
is Retirement Talk. I’m Del Lowery. This episode is entitled
“In Praise of Slow
Travel”.
We
just finished a road trip
“We
will start at the crack of dawn” is one of my favorite phrases.
What this means
in reality is a start somewhere around 9am give or take a half-hour.
Driving
after 5pm is rarely done. Of course we like to stop to take pictures,
walk on
the beach, have lunch, find a local coffee shop, or jump on our bikes
for a
short ride.
I
know some people who like to turn a road trip into an endurance
contest. They
judge the success of the trip by how many miles they cover. We have a
relative
who takes great pride in driving seven hundred miles or even nine
hundred miles
a day. He determines the number of gas stops and bathroom stops before
the car
ever leaves the driveway. And then, no matter the protest, he does not
stop.
His daughter-in-law was screaming in agony on one trip for a bathroom
stop but
he would not. I don’t understand this attitude towards a trip or
a vacation.
When
we left Alaska our daughter flew to Anchorage to accompany us on our
road trip
south. We were 40 miles out of Anchorage when we first pulled to the
side of
the road. The mountains were beautiful, a glacier could be seen off to
our
right. “Why are we stopping?” she asked. “We have
over two thousand miles to
go. We will never get there”.
“No
need to rush life” I responded. This quote came to me from a bush
pilot many
years earlier in Alaska. It had become a household mantra whenever
pressure was
exerted to go faster than what was comfortable for anyone. We made it
down the
highway. She just had to adjust her expectations.
Now
I’m thinking of following our friends lead and pulling in our
driving distance
expectations. It might be better to travel less miles per day. That is
one of
the advantages of retirement. We have time. We can take an extra hour,
an extra
day, or an extra week. By retirement age life has hopefully taught us
to accept
some limitations.
Just
three hours ago we were strolling down the streets on Granville Island
in
Vancouver. We had just explored a newly established broom making studio
where
two young women make brooms in the Shaker style. They only use two
broom making
tools and they are each over a hundred years old.
We
strolled outside and within one block saw a distinguished looking older
gentleman with an expensive looking camera strapped around his neck. He
had a
determined look on his face as he rushed along this street amidst
leisurely
strolling tourist. Maybe he had a train to catch but he was definitely
rushing
life.
Retirement
gives us time to breath, time to letup, time to sit in quiet repose. We
should
know by now that we aren’t really going anywhere. We may as well
take our time.
Music
In
our last episode the topic focused on getting a second opinion
concerning
health care. Mark Reed from
“Years
ago I returned from work in
The
sports doctor talked with me for 20+ minutes when he said “Tell
me about that
again”. After a whole raft of blood tests, Dr Eli Dwosh informed
me that my
blood contained a ‘marker’ for HLA B27 “Spondular
Arthropathy” – hereditary in
one in four family males; an arthritis-like ailment of the larger
joints.
The
correct drugs, and a revised physiotherapy regime, and I was playing
soccer and
jogging within six months.”
Thanks
to Mark for sending this in. If you have a story or examples that
relates to
one of our shows please send it to: Del@retirementtalk.org.
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