Monday, September 09, 2024

Monday Mood: Getting out and enjoying life


My successor in the office, emailed saying it was time to meet for lunch, I met her in the city one day last week. Her schedule was full, lunch was late.  I went into the city a little early and spend 90 minutes walking in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.  It was refreshing and inspiring. We had a nice long lunch, talking about what is happening, and what will happen. When we finished I walked down, across the mall and took the subway home from a station nearly a mile away.  It was so nice to see the museum, to connect with Erica, and to see the city.  I am so close, and I see so little of it. 

Late last week we drove out to Manassas, 24 miles as the bird flies, 44 miles by the fastest road connection. So close and yet I think only the second time I have been there.  I went out for a ride in a 1929 Ford Tri Motor airplane.  A neat experience that I will talk about in a future post.  

And it was just that, an experience.  A few years ago there was a flurry of articles about millennials being more interested in experiences than things, preferring to go hiking in the Andes, over owning an expensive watch or a new car.  The same can be said for some of us older people.  I have a couple of expensive watches, that I never wear.  I'd sooner spend $100 on a flightseeing tour, than having the Tag Heuer serviced (I have a pretty yellow one from the late 1990's.) A walk in a museum, a walk in a world Capital, lunch with a friend; enjoying these things, simply requires getting out and going. 

     

18 comments:

  1. I agree with you about experiences over “things.” Sounds like a great day!

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  2. I have never been able to understand the obsession that some men have with watches. As long as it reliably tells the time - that's all you need. A friend bought his daughter an experience for her eleventh birthday - a short leisure flight with one of her friends from a small, local airfield. I don't know what went wrong but all on board were killed. She would have been forty years old now. Her name was Elizabeth.

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    1. I am wearing a $30 Casio watch. Sad that Elizabeth died. Parents should forgive themselves.

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  3. A sad tale from YP. I have ridden myself of many possessions since Ray died. Experiences with people are better.

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    1. I have a lot of small memory items, space is a challenge here in the high rise.

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  4. Oh yes, experiences are better than things any day! Provided they're GOOD experiences, of course.

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    1. My brain starts to philosophize are experiences good or bad, or is it merely how we perceive them? Is there good to be found in a bad experience?

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  5. I am not a "thing" person, and much prefer an experience over things. I have said before, but will say it again, my favorite quote of the Dalai Lama is to "Want the things you have, not have the things you want."

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    1. I want to experience a visit to SC again.

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  6. I went through a period of "things" about 30 years ago but not any longer. Now I like seeing things and going to places more.

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    1. And there are so many places to go and see.

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  7. This is where digital cameras are such a blessing. So many photos to bring back memories from the experience. And experiences broaden our horizons in so many ways.

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    1. Everyone seems to have a camera in their pocket these days

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  8. While I'm not a millennial, I definitely like experiences over things myself.

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  9. Good for you. Get out and see things while you still can.

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