Category Archives: perspective

Tired of Intolerance? How Giving a Book Can Help:

June 2, 2012books, perspective, travel, Wise WordsKirsetin

“A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance.”

– Lyndon Baines Johnson

Some of my favorite things: laughing with good friends; a thought-provoking book; travelling with my family; a cold glass of dark beer; the sound of waves crashing on the shore; peace, quiet, and a fireplace; a glass of red wine; rain at the beach; raucous laughter; a guy with a guitar; body surfing all day; a challenging morning of yoga.

As I thought about two of my perennial favorites, travel and reading, I wondered this: isn’t reading a form of travel, in its own way?

Think about it.

When we open one of those books that invite us in, that still make us think long after we turn the last page, we look outward. Our self-centered focus falls away as we immerse ourselves in the lives of the characters. The same thing happens when we wander the alleys of a new place or explore ancient ruins—all at once we come face to face with our very small place in this very big world.

How about Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle? Or Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth? Have you read them? (If not, what are you waiting for?!) Powerful books like these transport us to places we’ve never been; they connect us to people whose life experiences are fundamentally different from ours. When we read them, a schism forms between our pre-conceptions and reality. What we thought we knew to be true begins to shake. And shift.

Whether we’re transported by pages or vehicles we forget, for awhile, the problems and issues that loom large in our everyday lives. Our minds are free to see things anew.

Do you have a book you’d recommend that opened your eyes or changed your mind?

(Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Can Travel Change the World?

May 24, 2012life, perspective, travel, Uncategorized, Wise Wordslife, quotes, travel with kids, travel without kidsKirsetin

When I think about where to travel next, I think of this quote by Susan Sontag:

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

I’m smiling now, just reading her words.

Here are a few protests I hear against travel:

It’s too expensive.
It’s too difficult to plan.
I don’t have anyone to watch my kids.
There’s plenty to see here.

To which my responses are:

Travel doesn’t have to be super expensive. Yes, it costs money. But if you can afford to hit the amusement park and go out to dinner, it’s do-able.
It’s not difficult. It can, however, be time consuming.
Take your kids with you!
Have you seen all of it?

I have a dear friend who has no interest in international travel, and I simply can’t get my mind around that idea. But even if you’re with her, travel doesn’t have to mean cafés in Europe or safaris in South Africa. It doesn’t even have to mean flying on a plane. Some of the most beautiful places in the world are right here in our country. If you’re willing to drive, you can find them.

I’ve written (too much?) about my perceived benefits of travel: travel with kids, without kids, travel as a kid. And I didn’t even mention the obvious: to relax and enjoy ourselves without the weight of our usual day-to-day responsibilities. And although relaxing is important, my experience is that it’s rarely the sole benefit of time in a new place.

There are so many different cultures and landscapes right here in our country, within each region, even, that I’m not sure we can ever experience all of them. But my biggest argument for trying is this: Compassion. Understanding. Grace. It’s a big world, filled with millions of people’s lives and thoughts and experiences. Imagine what it would be like if we all learned from each other.

I’m not sure if travel can change the world. But I know it can change your life.

Agree? Disagree? Why do you travel?

My Top 6 Reasons to Travel With Kids

May 9, 2012perspective, travelKirsetin

Last month wrote about travel, and I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time lately planning travel. As such, I thought I’d post an update of an old popular post: My Top 6 Reasons to Travel With Kids:

Traveling with children is almost never easy and, needless to say, is an entirely different experience from traveling without them. Although the latter can be perfectly lovely, and peacefully quiet, there are certain advantages to packing the bags and heading out as a family. Here, I offer my top 6 reasons to include your kids on your next vacation:

1. A book or photograph can never give your kids the sense of place or understanding that actually being there gives them.

2. Every parent ought to test the limits of their patience on an 8-hour flight or car ride sometime. Come on, isn’t that one of the bonuses to parenting: learning how very deep you can dig when you really need to?

3. The forced family togetherness can create crankiness, sure. But it can also promote brotherly bonds like no other.

4. Peer detox. See #3. I’m always amazed at how well we all interact without the excess, external noise from pre-teen friends.

5. The world is a BIG place. Travelling to other places helps all of us understand that our small corner of the world is not the center of the universe. It’s so easy to get caught up in our schools and our sports and our social network that we don’t stop to think about how this same thing is happening in towns all over the world. Traveling gives kids a better perspective of how it all fits together.

6. When a child knows he can look at a map and find his way around Rome, he’s less likely to be daunted by the little bumps and bruises of life.

Of course there are innumerable other benefits, many of which aren’t measurable, aren’t tangible resume-building benefits. But I contend that travel will build the resume of the spirit and the soul. It will promote empathy and understanding. It will boost the desire to reach across the border–whether it’s a border between school districts, or board rooms, or cultures.

And the desire and ability to reach across those divides? That’s life changing stuff. Surely it’s worth a few hassles in the car or on the airplane.

Have you seen other benefits? What are your top reasons for traveling with your kids?