What I Learned On My Summer Vacation

            As some of you know, Wanda and I were gone last week.  We spent a week in the Seattle area.  The main purpose of the trip was a nephew’s wedding, but we also took a few extra days for a vacation.  Who knows when or if we’ll ever be out there again, so we wanted to see more than just the hotel and the airport.  We took some tours and did some general sightseeing.

            It had been a long time since we’d taken a real vacation, and I learned a few things.  Well, “learned” probably isn’t the right word—there are no stunning insights here or anything.  A better way to say it is that I was reminded of some things I should have already known.  Anyway, I thought I’d share them with you.

1.       Wanda and I need to find a way to spend more time alone together.  Don’t get

me wrong, the time we spent with Wanda’s family was wonderful.  However, because we got out there a few days before the family, Wanda and I had a few days just to ourselves.  For me, that was the highlight of the trip.  I’m sure we have this in common with a lot of other people, but we both stay pretty busy, and most of the time we are together we’re doing something or other.  We somehow need to have more time for just the two of us.  I’m not sure yet how it’s going to happen, but we’ll work on it.  If you’re part of a couple that stays busy, and most of your time together is spent doing something or other, I’d suggest you work on it, too.  It’s something we all need.  And you just might find out that your spouse is kind of fun to hang out with, you know?

2.       There are a lot of nice people in the world.  Because Wanda and I don’t travel

much, there are a lot of things about travel we don’t know.  Finding our way around airports, figuring out how to get around in a city, those are things we’re pretty ignorant about.  I often felt like I should have a big sign around my neck that said, “HICK”.  But every time we couldn’t figure out what we were supposed to do or where we were supposed to go, we’d find somebody who’d help us.  It was pretty cool.  You know, you watch the news sometimes and you get the impression that everyone in the world is either mean or selfish.  It’s not true.  As the country song says, most people are good.  It’s important to remember that.

3.       It’s okay to detach sometimes.  It’s a cliché to say that something “puts things in

perspective”, but there’s an extent to which this trip did.  While we were gone, I didn’t do a lot of the things I usually do.  I would look in on facebook once in a while, but I’m sure I missed a lot of stuff.  I caught a few news headlines, but I’m sure I missed a lot of stuff that was reported.  I checked the Twins’ scores, but I didn’t watch or listen to any ballgames.  And you know what?  It was okay.  It truly was.  I’m not suggesting detachment as a permanent way of life, but sometimes we need to remember that a) a lot of the things we get upset about we can’t change anyway, so it’s better to not get upset about them, and b) the world is big enough and old enough to take care of itself for a while.  I still want to be there for people and help people and serve God as best I can.  But I’m not an indispensable person, and neither are you.

            So that’s what I learned on my summer vacation.  If it helps you remember a few things you should know, too, that’s great.  One more thing:  it’s a little sad when a great vacation is over.  But it’s a lot easier to come home when you know you’re coming home to a great job in a great place and have great people to work with.  I’m glad we got away, but I’m also happy to be home.