7400:441/541-001
Family Relationships: Middle
& Later Years
Instructor: Prof. David Witt
Reusing Vacations
Families
are based in large part on the routines we develop. We find
comfort
and grounding in the everyday things we do. These activities give us
points
of reference and add a cadence to our lives. Routines are important.
Still, people need to break away from the
routines
once in a while. It is probably equally important that families take
vacations
from their everyday existences and experience new things (or
re-experience
things that were enjoyable).
Because vacations are often expensive and time
consuming, Families can't always take them as needed.
Once again, planning comes into play. If
we are wise and forward-thinking we can catalog the trips we do
get to take so that we can re-experience them (Also - later on when we
are old and living on fixed incomes - we'll have our memories to help
us
have fun).
Cataloging the Trips
You may already have this skill - making a
documentary
scrapbook of your adventures.
Most everyone has a big shoe box full of
photographs
taken on various family get-togethers and outings. We take our
instamatic
camera on a trip, click off a few rolls of film and have a great
time.
Back home, we stop at the drug store to have the film developed, pay
our
$6.95 a roll and look at our pictures (some of which didn't pan out all
that well). The pictures rest on the breakfast bar for a couple
of
weeks until someone scoots them into that "utility drawer" that holds
the
light bulbs and pliers.
Such a waste!
Next time you get to go somewhere, try this
instead.
- You'll still need your camera - and
- a small notebook to jot down information
about the
pictures you are snapping off.
- Keep your eyes peeled while you are
sightseeing -
look for interesting bits of local color (a few leaves from an historic
site are a nice touch, but be careful not to take anything that would
contribute
to the overall decay of such sacred places).
- Find brochures at restaurants and shops
as
you travel
- brochures usually have better pictures of the places you are going to
see than those you'd take yourself.
- When you stop to eat - avoid the usual
coast-to-coast
places and find out of the way joints and fun eateries. Ask if you can
have a menu or a business card (or a book or two of matches). These
make
nice rememberances and you can even *star the food each person
ordered.
If what you are eating is really different, ask if you can have the
recipe.
- Talk to local people about their town or
city. Ask
if you can take their picture in front of the big thing or unusual
place.
- Strike up a conversation with a police
officer (if
they're not too busy).
- Look for interesting architectural
elements
as you
travel - sometimes people in towns take extra pride in the uniqueness
of
their front doors or yard gardens.
- Ask around (or do internet research) for
the
best/cheapest
local tours you can find - walking tours are always better than the bus
things - but those are nice too.
As you travel, keep stashing all this stuff into
the one bag you've brought along to carry back your rememberances.
As soon as you get home, develop the film and
start making your Documentary Scrapbook. I like the day-by-day account
of trips - but you can organize yours any way that works for you.
Here's our bookshelf of trips so far:
How to Use
Valentine's day is fast approaching and the most
romantic day of my life was when Susan and I were married.
Soooooo - we'll be get out the Honeymoon books
and looking them over for a little thrill - and we don't have to sit in
an airplane for hours either.
Your trips can also be enhanced by using a
digital
camera - if you have the time and inclination to learn how to use one.
They are cheaper to use than "analog" cameras and have a big pay off in
terms of instant gratification. For example, I just took that picture
of
my bookshelf 5 minutes before typing this sentence.
Have some pics:
