Senior Spectrum
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August 2008
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“5000 Miles, 20 Ticks and No Media”
Imagine driving 5000 miles (roundtrip) cross country in an RV to attend a historical event, with gas prices, crisis', the economy, etc. The trip spanned 14 days and was an amazing experience. It made my husband (Larry), our small Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Ginger) and I value this wonderful country we live in, and the people who live in each area. But more than the country, it made us realize, how in the scheme of things, if we allow ourselves to narrow our thinking and focus on the negatives that surround our daily lives we may well forget how positive life can be.
Our drive took us from Reno to Gettysburg, PA, where we attended the 145th Civil War Re-enactment. It took 4 days to cross, averaging 600 to 700+ miles per day through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. We had a freeway, some toll highways, and some two lane roads with steep mountain passes, all easy to navigate in a modern RV.
During the drive had numerous discussions about the pioneers who traveled the same path, covering 30 miles per day and taking months to cross this land. Imagine this distance traveling in a covered wagon; having to forage for food and game, struggling to keep the stock and your family healthy, maintaining alertness to avoid predators and other dangers…. and the list goes on and on. We really have it so easy, in spite of the inconveniences we may face each day. This drive out and back caused us to value the opportunities and gifts we have in this life, and to appreciate the simplicity of our challenges compared to those of our pioneer predecessors.
Our biggest challenge during the trip, was the day we took our Ginger out for a walk and “pit stop” on an off ramp in Iowa. When we returned to the RV, I noticed she had a tick on her as we were driving with her in my lap. We stopped a mile down the road to check for more, and began combing her to remove any other ticks. The more we combed, the more we found…. over 20 ticks in all! (She's only 10 inches tall and 10 pounds, so you can imagine our shock at the quantity.) Of course our anxiety levels spiked, worrying about ones we didn't find, however we had put “Frontline” (flea and tick treatment) on her prior to the trip, and hoped it worked. The next morning, we found two more, dead on the comforter where she slept, which indicated the Frontline worked. This episode made me think, our inconveniences in present time are much like ticks. Keep picking them off, one by one, and it all works out in spite of your anxiety levels.
Our final discovery …. without the media telling us how bad the world is, we actually had only positive experiences. (We did not listen to news once during the trip.) Larry, Ginger and I have a new mantra…“Go the distance, treat each problem like a tick you need to pick off, and don't let anything bias your thinking.”
I welcome your feedback and opinions. You may e-mail me at: wendy.simons.consult@gmail.com