The S.P.A.M. Chronicles - Day 12

Day 12 concludes of our Hawaiian vacation
The rain provides us some needed hydration
From the sun we get our Vitamin D
Elsie’s oranges exude fresh Vitamin C
And the fresh salt air is welcome ventilation

I’ve been asked why I take my time writing down these vacation musings and I suppose the motivation is from examples both recent and long ago. For the first six weeks of the year Loren & Veneta kept us informed of the Arizona adventures in their Desert Digest. Loren’s a great writer and he recently uncovered a trove of letters from him to his parents during his Korean War days which he’s using during the writing of his autobiography. In college, I used to write 3 or 4 letters a week and I miss the challenge of crafting and organizing my thoughts in a way at least I understand. In the fabled summer of ’72 when Ken & I embarked on a month long 8000 mile automotive odyssey around America, I started a daily journal that I kept for the next 3 years. Though the writing was pedestrian, as the years have gone by I’ve appreciated the documentation of big & little events that shaped the world and got me to who I am today. College life, relationships, and the day to day decisions made against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the 70’s economy, and Watergate are interesting fodder for reflection. As a result I look upon these writings as less about ”how I spent my spring vacation” and more about “who I was as I spent my summer vacation” Also, two of my inspirations are Quaker/Unitarian philosophers, Rick Seifert (http://theredelectric.blogspot.com/) and the journal of Robert Fulghum (http://www.robertfulghum.com/ ) In the age of texting and twittering, it’s nice to slow down and savor someone else’s well-considered thoughts. I’m sure it’s the same reason I enjoy immersing myself in a good book. It’s one reason I encouraged Evan to document his impressions during his far-flung adventures. If he did, I’d have to wait for the English translation since my Spanish is rusty.

We had intended to get out for some walking today since we planned to give the PT a rest today but needed to wait until a break in the weather after lunch and then ended up driving down to some of our favorite viewing spots. Not much whale action due to choppy seas and a rain shower chased us home. Off to the Land of Hanalei tomorrow.

In a fitting postscript to today, I just learned of the passing of master storyteller, Paul Harvey. I remember earning money for our 1972 trip @ $1.91/hr and listening to him on the radio. When asked about retirement, he stated he could think of nothing better to do than paint pictures with his typewriter… To Paul Harvey, one last time… Good Day!