Scribble World Travel Blog

We Drank From The Fountain of Youth! And Toured Castillo De San Marcos

Another great day-we took advantage of the eggs, sausage and waffles at the hotel and used the jacuzzi one more time.  We went to the Fountain of Youth-a completely different atmosphere during the day than it was on our Ghost Train Ride there last night.  We tried a sample of the strongly flavored mineral water from the Fountain of Youth, while learning some history.  We learned about Ponce De Leon (a tall guy for his day at 4′11″) who arrived in St. Augustine to find a land of “giants”-which certainly must have seemed the case when he ran into an Indian chief standing roughtly 7 feet tall. There’s a statue of the Chief, at the Fountain of Youth, which was built according to the size of his actual bone remains…anyway, go there yourself if you can, it’s an interesting place.

We walked to Castillo San Marcos to walk around the federal fort and give Chris a chance to use his federal parks pass.  Then walked around an alleyway filled with shops and restaurants.

After our day’s events, it was time to move on, so we drove until we got to Georgia, parking in an enormous parking lot with only a handful of other cars.  I like Georgia so far. It sure was thoughtful of them to make a lot big enough for everyone and without any of those vile “no overnight parking” signs to worry about.

Real ghosts?? St. Augustine, FL

We toured the historic St. Augustine lighthouse and climbed the 14 stories worth of stairs to get up to the very top.  I was amused by some of the huffing and puffing younger kids holding onto the rails and slowly chugging up one step at a time complaining all the while-and couldn’t help but think they’re too young to be huffing and puffing like that….some kids could use a lot more exercise.

The view from the top was great and I heard no complaints about that.

We rode The Red Train around historic downtown St. Augustine  for an interesting and informative ride.  We saw many historic buildings and interesting looking museums and planned to cram as many as possible in the next day.  It would probably be ideal to spend at least 3 days to take in the many sites.

That night, we signed up for the Ghost Train Ride, which departed from the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum on a trolley, after dark.  We were first taken to the Fountain of Youth where we walked around on a guided tour.

I had a strange experience approaching the spot where I think we were told an old Indian Chief had been buried. I was too preoccupied by what I was seeing- a group of dark shadowy figures moving in around us-to hear all the details. My first thought was that they weren’t real, but part of a setup to scare us…so there I was, waiting for the screams-but to my surprise and consternation, no one ever did.  In fact, no one said a word about it, and our Guide began encouraging us to take pictures.  That was eerie, I couldn’t believe I had been the only one to see them.  They were so real!  Of course, by the time I asked Chris, they were no longer there and he just smiled at me in quizzical amusement. I kept an eye out for them, wanting proof that I hadn’t imagined it, but they didn’t return.  So did I see real ghosts? Or was my imagination just getting the better of me?

We were encouraged to take pictures and be on the lookout for circular spots on our pictures as those were considered “orbs”- a sign of an energy presence. Next we were taken to an old cemetery where hundreds of people had died of yellow fever and were buried in mass unmarked graves beneath our feet, and we listened to interesting stories about some of the n’er do wells of the era.

We returned to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum for an inside after hours tour with more ghost stories.  That was probably the coolest part of the night-just hanging back and listening to the stories and feeling energy.  Of course they were trying to scare us, talking about a fire that took place there in the 1940’s and how two women died, but not necessarily from the fire…and how sometimes you can still see one walking around at night.  The guy giving the tour sounded pretty spooked by it all and talked about the average tour guide lasting less than 6 months before getting too spooked to work there anymore.

It was fun using the little energy detectors-and it did have a unique and unusual feel to it.  For me, it was a harmless feeling of energy, but to others it was something more ominous and scary and they were happy to get out of there.  All in all, a memorable and interesting day.

CityWalk Nightlife, Orlando, FL

We started our night at Orlando’s CityWalk around 6 P.M. (by then parking was free.)  We picked up our movie tickets for later, and went to have dinner at Bob Marley-A Tribute to Freedom.  The restaurant is designed after Bob Marley’s home  in Kingston, Jamaica.  It was interesting how part of the inside was actually roofless, so there were some puddles and wet chairs from the rain earlier.
We went inside another club, The Groove, which was blasting current top hits. The dance floor was packed.  We made our way to the “Red Room” to see what that was like-a much cozier intimate atmosphere with plush red furniture.  We had it to ourselves.

We watched “The Eye” at one of the twenty theaters within the AMC Universal Cineplex.  Chris was delighted to be able to order a beer at the concession stand.

After the movie, we spent much of our night at Pat O’Briens where we were captivated by two incredibly talented piano players.  These guys were true pros and gave flawless perfomances blowing us away with their gusto and energy.

Sleeping in Van in Orlando

I spent the night in the van in the parking lot next door to the Intown Suites without any problems.  It’s Thursday.  Just Friday, Sat & Sunday to go-then we can leave Orlando.  I don’t want to live here.  At least not from what I’ve seen of the town so far.  I was reading the InTown Suites policies and not only are they not pet freindly, it says they don’t allow more than one child per room either….I can just imagine the security guard knocking on someone’s door and saying, “excuse me m’am, I noticed you have more than one child…you’re going to have to escort one from the property immediately.”
We had to call 4 times in 2 days to get someone to come over to fix the toilet-and he put a new chain on, but it’s too long-so in order to flush it, we have to lift the lid off the toilet tank.

InTown Suites-No Pets Allowed?!

Action-Reaction-My head went cold, my brain froze.  The security guard at the door of our hotel room, with unnaffected calm asked if that was our van outside.  He said no animals of any kind were allowed on the premises.  “But they’re in our own van, which is temperature controlled, on an independant power system.”  “Doesn’t matter,” he said, and added, “No animals, not even goldfish, are allowed anywhere on the property. You must remove the animal IMMEDIATELY.”  Chris & I closed the door and were trying to think what to do, less than 2 minutes later, the security guard knocked again re-emphasizing the word, “immediately,” just to be unpleasant, it seems.

So- I guess that would explain all the stray cats I saw running around the parking lot-poor little guys….do they consider it more humane to just boot your cat out onto the street than let ‘em come in your room or stay in your vehicle where they can be comfortable and safe?  Hardly seems fair.

I drove the van off InTown Suite’s property and reparked in a large office building’s parking lot.  Meanwhile, Chris looked up kennel info on the web and found out that was even more expensive than our weekly motel room rate.  We asked if we could get a refund so we could find somewhere else that was pet friendly, but their policy, we were told, is to not give refunds.  We were in a bind.

Finally, I just told Chris I would stay with the cats in the van, and we could swap now and then so I could still use the room’s amenities.  It’d be better than taking our cats to a kennel anyway, it’s not worth the risk. I’ve known too many people who’ve gone to pick up their cat at the kennel to find the cat had gotten sick, despite having had its shots…and some of these cats stay sick despite hundreds of dollars worth of vet bills trying to fix the mystery ailment.

I’m at a business park at a picnic table now.  I can see water moving through the trees.  I wonder how the security guard figured out we had a cat-they were quietly napping in the back-perhaps it was the cat carrier on the cargo rack.  I just took it off and squeezed it into the back of the van so we’ll be less conspicuous.

I’m contemplating where to go from here.  This nervousness is causing me to make a mess of my finger nails-I just unconsciously start picking at them.

*Deeper breathing* as I try to search for the good in this—well, it does give me a chance to have a little time to myself.  That’s one thing about the traveling lifestyle that has been an unexpected challenge.  Any disagreement, no matter how trivial, is going to be amplified when you’re traveling together in a vehicle this small.  It’s important to get a little space and perspective when you can squeeze it in.

InTown Suites, Orlando, FL

We checked into our InTown Suites room in Orlando today.  We had to pre-pay for the week and leave a $50 deposit as well.  The room is old but seems adequate.  There’s wireless internet, so we got our taxes done.  I used the microwave to make hot tea-a novelty I’ve missed a lot since my insulated cup that plugged into the car outlet stopped working.

I sat in the van for a long time petting the cats and making sure they were happy purrballs, with their food and water.  I turned the inverter on so it’ll be cool and comfortable for them.  I’d like to bring them in but they usually cower and sulk-it can take a while for a cat to adjust to a new environment.  That and the pet fees are just ridiculous at most of these places-designed to milk those with lots of discretionary income, but not at all compassionate for us poor folk with lots of places we still want to go and thinning wallets.

Controlled Forest Fire, Fort Christmas Park, FL

We passed a prescribed national forest burning on our way out of Titusville.  The fire was almost to the highway-I wonder if it’s hard to keep it under control sometimes.  It was pretty big.

We are at Fort Christmas Park to relax a while now.  This is where the Seminole Indians used to live.  Chris & I are taking a little time to ourselves.  My mind feels like my own again, it is a wonderful feeling, like fresh air.  We were discussing some of our differences on the drive over.  I like to have time to focus on what is already in my mind, while he says he needs to not be bored-to be exposed to things on a regular basis. A comfortable silence, for me, is an opportunity to think.  He, on the other hand, would prefer to have the radio on pretty much constantly.  We find solutions and compromises along the way (earplugs, headsets), but I think empathy is the most important ingredient-not expecting the other person to be exactly like you…which is always easier said than done!

This is a beautiful area.  I sit at a brown painted picnic table, there are real wood rocking chairs outside the visitor center, neat wood cabins, beautiful large trees with Spanish Moss (yes, I finally learned what it was called) draping down them, a small orange tree, an ant crawling up my arm…

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Aligators

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, sitting on 140,000 acres (on Route 404 North Titusville, FL) was a wild and interesting place to spend some time. We started out on Black Point Wildlife drive.  The self-guided dirt road tour through the reserve is a slow drive allowing for frequent photo stops to pull over and get a better view of the many species of birds and interesting marshlands.

We parked at Cruickshank trail (halfway point for the 7 mile trail) and went for a nice walk out in nature-although I might warn others from being quite so carefree-as we later spotted some aligators, so…be aware of your surroundings if you stray from the paths :)  It was fun though….a nice slow pace, lots of nature, birds, fresh air, blue skies..

Then there was another trail, called L Pond, a much narrower trail, which was a one way dirt road, surrounded by steep ditches and marshes on either side.  This was a little more nerve racking particularly when a car or truck going the wrong direction wanted to squeeze past us…thus forcing us off the road when there wasn’t much of any shoulder to speak of.  I can not imagine trying to drive a large a vehicle down L Pond trail.

We saw a few fisherman out and about.  It was a nice day for it.

After leaving the trails, wee stopped in at the visitor’s center. We particularly enjoyed seeing the turtles-both in the pond and the ones in the acquariums.

Best $5 Shower Ever And Cocoa Beach

This morning we stopped at a Pro-Health & Fitness Center.  I went in for a quick tour of the place and found out it was only $5 for a day pass with access to everything including a much needed shower.

It was wonderful.  We worked out on a couple machines, walked and ran around a track, I jump roped, we played basketball, I briefly went in the heated pool (88 degrees),  and spent a good long while in the steam room.  I talked to a lady about some of her favorite local spots, and told her about our traveling the country looking for new experiences.  She said we should check out Cocoa Beach (lots of nightlife), so we’ll do that tonight.

Cont. Cocoa Beach:  We walked around Cocoa Beach for a while, then went to Heidi’s Jazz Lounge nearby.  We were there a couple hours slowly sipping our drinks & getting a kick out of the seniors showing off their singing and piano playing abilities.  They were amazingly talented-just people sitting down enjoying their drinks who’d go up and volunteer an act or two.

There was one woman, a former Vegas showgirl, who joked seriously that she was also a plumber for 15 years, “you laugh, you don’t believe me, but it put my kids through college.”  She was funny and did a little tap dance routine complaining in an energetic way about how tired she was.  She reminded me of an old friend from high school, and I wondered if that’s what she would be like when she got older.

Afterward, we kept the night alive and walked to Coconuts on the Beach lounge for dinner (chicken scampi).  Earlier, we stopped at Harvey’s Groves and I got a great deal on a quart of fresh squeezed orange juice.

Wanting to get out of the county where we’d had so much difficulty parking, I got back on highway 1 heading North.  I pulled into a large church parking lot and we had a peaceful night.

Valentine Parking Blues

We tried parking at Melbourne Beach first, but right as we were getting cozy a cop came, shined his spotlight at us and asked for my ID.  He wasn’t very helpful in suggesting alternatives.  We tried the small Walmart nearby but there were “no overnight parking” signs everywhere.  We went to big beach parking lot and found more unfriendly signs.  We followed signs through residential areas to get to a library.  When we got there, we tried to use their wireless internet access, as we’ve done many times before, but this was the least friendly one yet-we connected only to find ourselves unable to leave the homepage that said, “sorry we’re closed.” There were more signs, so we didn’t stay.  Instead, I went to the dog park across the way, that didn’t have any signs.

I parked in the darker of the two parking lots, near the woods, hoping we wouldn’t be disturbed again.  Florida isn’t a very friendly state-all these empty parking lots and twice as many “no parking” signs, what’s the deal?

There’s a pond in front of us and a woodsy area to the rear.  It’s fairly secluded.

Cont. 12:56 A.M. A cop did find us at the dog park.  He ran both of our ID’s and talked over the intercom.  He said we could stay there tonight, but not to make a habit of it.

A few minutes after he left, another car that was old and beat up pulled in right behind us….where he’d be least visible.  It just seemed odd..that in that whole empty parking lot, he would hide right behind us.  My mind conjured that he had heard the cop talking about our whereabouts and that he cleared us-so he, a wanted felon, knowing of this location found us & hid behind us where he’d be least visible.  I shared this paranoid late night theory with Chris and he got spooked and said we’d better leave, he wouldn’t be able to sleep now.  Chris got behind the wheel and tore out of there really fast, the car started following us but after a mile or so turned around and went back.  It’s 1:01 A.M. now.

1:57 A.M. We’re in a travel agency parking lot.  The van windows are foggy. I have to pee.  It’s a tar parking lot-there is nowhere to go.  Great….

Chris says this’ll be the 4th time we’ve tried to sleep tonight.  I finally drove until I found a Super Walmart and we spent the few remaining hours of the night there.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Paws wants to know if you’ll be his Valentine…?

Nature Observations

Nature, each time I return to thee, I learn your secrets-and my own.

I woke up at a park this morning, far off the beaten path and we were the only ones there.  I got out and followed a path up some stairs, climbing quickly to the top.  I enjoyed the lushness and unknown flowers.  I chose another path to climb down, walking carefully, watching my step.  I admired an unusual butterfly but it was hard to see as it kept moving higher.  I crossed the street and walked down to the shoreline.  Slowly, my attention crossed over birds, the sky, the sounds, my awareness of myself when I thought I was being observed (tense) to when I didn’t think anyone could see me (at ease, happy).  I crossed the street again to see if Chris wanted to join me, but he was busy doing something on the laptop.

I decided to retrace my steps, and walked up the stairs again-more slowly this time-the goal was no longer the destination.  There were more stairs than I originally realized.  I took time to observe and wonder about them.  I noticed a handful of those mysterious pretty butterflies fluttering nearby.  I started noticing flowers and berries, mosses, and other vegetation I hadn’t noticed the first time.  I even saw some orange trees-and wondered how I could’ve missed that-I hadn’t known how long the walk would take the first time and had moved more quickly than the second.  It was a small park, but I could contemplate the things in it for hours.  I enjoyed the way a long twirly mossy vine of some kind felt as I ran my hand loosely down it-like a pleasant and friendly tickle.  Looking about I saw there were many of these long swirly grey strands, I enjoyed their beauty and thought about getting my camera.

I drove to an island and parked the van under a bridge. We watched the rain.

We drove to another beach and walked around once the rain had stopped. Then drove a while longer and pulled over at a small parking lot and walked to the shore observing snails and moving seashells.

The Chicken Bone

It has been a delightful and charmed existence~the good and the bad, I have loved all the ups and downs for they are the sugar and spice of life.

I swallowed a chicken bone (sharp)-by mistake obviously.  I wondered what dammage it might cause internally.  We walked around for a while and I put it out of my mind.  But now it has been a little over an hour and there is a sharp sickening pain in my stomach, and it is cold outside and I am sweating.  What happens when you swallow a sharp object?  The body is just tissue, flesh, acids… What defense does it have?

Other thoughts occur-would I go to a hospital if it meant saving my life?  Yes, but only if I knew i would otherwise die-otherwise, a false alarm would be too devastating a price monetarily. 

We hung out on the beach for about an hour, but it was cold and windy, so we didn’t swim today.  Sure was fun yesterday though-it’s hard to describe in words just how fun tackling waves is for me-it’s so easy, I feel so strong and capable-just soaring over the waves as they crash to shore~wondering why I’m the furthest one out~and why Chris is still watching nervously from the shore-worrying about sharks.

At the Theater of the Sea, an employee said the chances of getting bit by a shark are about 1 in 600,000-you have a greater chance of getting struck by lightning (1 in 30,000 I think).  And the rare shark bite is usually a case of mistaken identity-thinks you’re a sea turtle or something and when it realizes it’s mistake, it spits you back out. 

10:34 So I feel a little better now-maybe my body can overcome this little chicken bone matter afterall-people have survived stab and bullet wounds afterall.

Looking at a monstrous piece of chicken, Chris said, “Do you think somehow the kids in Ethiopia caused American obesity?”  haha..you know-eat your food, there are starving kids in China/Ethiopia…don’t be ungrateful by wasting it..

Chris went for a bike ride today.  We saw a really skinny girl that didn’t have a butt. Oh, and we watched some windsurfers-looks like they were having fun. 

Jupiter Island beach

Ox gave us a scare last night.  We were about to fall asleep when suddenly the automatic window starts opening.  Ox was standing on the button, I think he was proud too-he looked at me and let out a funny meow, as if to say, “I have learned your secret.”  Now if only we could’ve gotten him to open it that day we locked our keys in the van!

It was my day to drive.  We are now in: Jupiter Island in a beach parking lot.  This is a  great place, it’s open 24/7 and there are no evil “no overnight parking” signs.  We finally swam in the ocean, I stayed in quite a while, I was having so much fun gliding over the waves.  Chris is afraid of sharks, so he spent more time hanging out on the beach.

We’re back in the van now and added citronella oil to our oil burner.  It’s been sprinkling, but the storm is in the distance.

Key Biscayne Island, Florida

We spent the night in a library parking lot on Key Biscayne Island.  Last night we walked across the bridge and took pictures of Miami.  I watched as a large coconut fell from a tree making a loud thud.  I wonder how often a coconut falls on someone’s head.  We’re both getting tired of seeing endless “no overnight parking” signs-so unwelcoming.  A cop pulled in behind us at the library last night, but then turned around and left us alone to have an otherwise undisturbed night.

This morning there was cat puke on one of our freshly laundered silk sheets. That was a bummer.  We just did laundry yesterday at a place with a cafe attached to it.  So while waiting I went to order a mango shake, but the girl was having trouble understanding  my English.  A guy-also a customer-popped up with a freindly smile and started translating.  He said he’d lived in Brazil and learned Portuguese and then it was easy to learn Spanish when he moved here.

We ended up on Key Biscayne Island by mistake-taking a wrong turn into a toll-road with no way to make a u-turn.  I used my last $1.50 cash, counting out pennies and everything, in order to cover the toll.  I had just enough.

I love this library.  Lots of colorful plantlife, a little pond.  I’m sitting on a bench in front of the pond-a respectful distance from the creatures I’ve been enjoying so much.  I began observing the big duck/chickenlike birds.  Then little birds started springing down to investigate potential food. Then I saw the turtles-which appear to be ripping at the flesh of something that’s already dead.  I was trying to figure out what it was…not a bird…not quite a rodent either….aha….an ignuana-what a shame, I wonder how that happened.

Then, looking carefully, I started seeing other iguanas, live ones, blending in with the rocks and trees.  I spotted at least five.

What Did You Expect? Tamiami, FL

We’re at a park in Tamiami waiting for the pool to open at noon so we can swim and take showers.  I was sitting at a picnic table nibbling on a cookie but feeling somehow dissatisfied with the experience-it didn’t live up to my memory.  I tried to eat another more slowly still to see if I could recapture that magic-and got to thinking~sometimes there is like a shadow or an echo of a taste-that we do not always need the full flavor.  Our memory kicks in and taste is an autopilot function that many of us are not actively engaged in-we do not always look for subtle differences or register that an experience is not what one thinks it is.

For example, in Austin I was drinking a small bottle of unpasteurized orange juice just raving about how it was the best orange juice I’d ever had.  When it was gone, I refilled the bottle with pineapple juice, and the next day sat drinking it.  Chris asked for a sip-thinking it was the the orange juice I’d raved about.  I played along & handed it to him, trying to keep a straight face.  Afterwards, I asked what he thought & he nodded in approval and said it was good.  Later, I offered him some pineapple juice but he refused, “You know I don’t like pineapple juice.”

“What if I told you that orange juice you had earlier was pineapple juice?”

“I’d know the difference,” he assured me.  Well apparently not.  The minds power of expectation…drinking “orange juice” and expecting something good-that is what you get.  Drinking pineapple juice and expecting something-likewise, that is what you get.  Taste your food as though for the first time…you might be surprised. 

Everglades

We went on several hikes, saw lots of aligators, birds, mangroves (pencil-like trees).  We took cold showers at a public restroom and were planning to spend the night in the parking lot. There was a campground down the road, but we were just going to stay in our van and were hanging out watching a movie on the computer when around 8:30 a guy on a golf cart rode up and knocked on our window and said we had to pay $16 just to park. There weren’t any signs saying that and it was rather annoying having to sit through his speech and how he claimed we had to pay to park anywhere and that we mine as well just pay because it would be crazy to drive at night.  We left and drove to another parking lot a couple miles away and had a peaceful undisturbed night.  It just seemed silly-they should at least have a sign to warn you.

Fruit and Spice Park, Superbowl, Everglades

Today feels like a very full day.  I stopped around at several hotels & motels, the cheapest was $39, average was $65 and the high end was $139.  Then we stumbled across a community center with a pool for just $3/person.  That was wonderful and we used the showers in the locker room and didn’t need a motel afterall.

Next I followed signs to find the Fruit and Spice Park, North of Homestead.  The park sits on 32 acres and has at least 500 fruit, spice and nut trees.  It was the coolest place, very relaxing and refreshing to stroll around.  Outside, you are free to sample any fruit that is on the ground and I enjoyed some starfruit.  Then inside the park store there were a great many unusual and exotic fruits to sample.  Some locally made lychee sorbet was almost too good to be true.

Chris & I thought it would be interesting to find a Superbowl party so we went to a sports bar in Homestead.  We spent 5 hours there, got free t-shirts and free half-time burgers and hotdogs. All in all, a pretty cool night.

Which brings me to the present…we are staying in the Everglades National Park visitor’s center parking lot.  It is closed and we are the only vehicle around.  The stars are vivid out here.  There is water nearby, though we can’t see it-we hear loud splashing and a bird squawking.  I’m ready to call it a night.

Biscayne National Park, Florida

We took a scenic drive through the ancient fisherman village of Card Sound, then continued on our way to Biscayne National Park.  We found beautiful national park pictures on display in the visitor’s center.

Now we are parked off on the other side of a tarred road-across a canal, on a dirt road in the pull off.  It’s in a secluded area.  We have the window down and are listening to classical music. Meanwhile, Chris is entering the locations of Costco into our GPS program.  This road is 344th St…he says the canal is definitely man-made.

There was a sign, “aligator crossing,” nearby, and we are just a few feet from the water, so we’re wondering if we should avoid going outside to pee tonight.

The sun is setting, a huge bird extends its wings and flies off.  Big bugs.  Time to light a Citronella candle.  I think I just saw an aligator.

Bang! You’re dead.

5:13 A.M.  “What does it take to get her up to write this early?” the watching world wonders- apparently, my own death.  It was a dream without plot.  One minute Chris & I were fighting because he wanted to go on this tour and have the van re-tiled.  It sounded good until I saw the pricetag in the thousands.  The ridiculous price meant nothing to him-he had made up his mind based on feeling, not practicality or logic.  It seemed we were going to go our separate ways-he was trying to sell the van, even though I was in it. 

Suddenly, two big trucks came up, said they’ve been looking for a van like this-and then start blasting the crap out of the van and us without motive.  We didn’t have a chance-they had a missile, machine guns, and to take all sport out of the matter-they had bullet proof glass.  It seemed so senseless yet real and final. It’s interesting, I’ve heard people say you can’t die in a dream.  I was shot dead and everything went white.  I also heard that you can’t read in a dream, again not true.  Black letters appeared on the white screen:

“Bang! You’re dead,” like a computer game-then I woke up.

I woke up feeling afraid-like life is so tender and short-and we can die for the most senseless of reasons.  But then I suppose that’s what computer games are like too-the player might start out with a goal and then there are all these obstacles to get around.  And like a game, life can be very absorbing, randon, full of surprises, and we all know- life can seem unfair. 

So, if life is a game and we exist but temporarily inside this matrix, I wonder what the goal of the game is.  To have fun?  To win? To get the highest score?  Or perhaps to convince other would be “players” (livers) that it’s a good game worth playing.

Chris is gently snoring.  All is still dark, I’m writing by the blue glow of a mini flashlight.  Roosters are crowing-prematurely it seems… yet it is somehow comforting to know I am not the only one whose awake. 

Traveling, I have seen all these memorials-be it for hurricane victims from 1935,  or a deceased, but loved county commissioner, or a wealthy old couple who donated piles of money or land to a park or library-and have their picture there with gracious thanks for their generosity-it all seems so meaningless when these people existed before my birth.  It’s nice to have the park, but does it really matter who made it possible? 

It’s of mild interest, particularly if there’s a story behind it-but for the most part, these monuments that say, basically, “I was here, I existed,” seem silly.  They make the family and friends feel like they’re doing something to keep that person alive and relevant for a while.

These monuments could be destroyed, or replaced with new monuments, dedicated to different people, and the world would just move on.  New life would come, the cycle of life continuing, the focus staying on the young-the relevant.  And that’s what monuments are-an attempt to preserve a bit of our youth & relevance-a lasting display of our life’s work.  But while billions of others go on existing, living, and striving after a bit of their own relevance, it feels like an impossible task to appreciate everyone all at once. 

We forget and we move on with our own life stories.  We wonder to whom and for how long our life will be relevant.  We carve our names in trees, dump junk in landfills, kill strangers overseas—millions live, millions die-we seem quite capable of carrying on regardless of what great or terrible thing came before us.  We start new-as though the world has only just begun existing with our own set of experiences.  Thrashing, tearing, striving, racing toward the unknown finish line.  5:50 A.M.