The Dash
by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

​I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
​the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before. 

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

​So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

A fellow blogger who has committed to 30 posts in 30 days has created Almost wordless Wednesdays, and Meatless Mondays because as you can imagine, it is hard to be creative every day.

Everyone loved over the spring and summer when I shared photos on Facebook on Throwback Thursdays. This social media phenom founds its way into the urban dictionary this year describing it as people posting photos from “a while” ago on their social media sites.

I just returned from a work trip to Cancun. As I was thinking about what to write for the first throwback Thursday post I was reminded of my very first trip that I took with friends – it was a trip to Cancun, right after we finished high school. It was March 1990.

“back in the day” – what happened on vacation really did stay on vacation. There were no cell phone photos, or videos, no digital camera, no computers = there was so social media. There wasn’t instant gratification posting from the nearest WiFi area of the hotel. There were film cameras, and if you are lucky, maybe you still have some of those grainy, crappy photos that you would have developed back then. I see you, you are nodding in agreement with my last sentence.

In today’s travel world, it is all about the all inclusive resort for most people. Not ALL people, but most people. How many a la carte restaurant options are there? Is there 24 room service? Is there at least one pool bar? These are all the questions I get asked every day.

Jack Tar Villages and Club Med were the first true all inclusive concept resorts. Meals, drinks and entertainment included – all in one price? What a great idea. My first trip to Cancun was not at a Club Med or a Jack Tar Village. If my memory serves (two out of the three girls I went with will read this post) we didn’t even have all inclusive at the resort we stayed it. It was called Calinda Beach. I remember we paid for an oceanview room. Sure, it had a view of the ocean – no balcony and the window didn’t open. This I remember, and probably for that, really understand and appreciate the beauty of the balcony. I may not like the beach, but I LOVE the sounds of ocean and listening to the waves come in.

I remember that we packed crackers and peanut butter.
I remember that we ordered pizza from Dominos and sat on the floor at ate it.
Again, I see you nodding, because if you ever went to Mexico back in the day, you ordered Dominos as well.
I remember that we went out on night for dinner at a really great Italian restaurant.
I remember we went to the market, and bought silver earrings and I bought a silver ring with my name on it. I think I still have it somewhere. The earrings, long gone, which is too bad, because I really loved them – lost one and even replaced the pair a couple of times on other trips to Mexico. 

I was just looking through someone’s Facebook photos (what happens on vacation now ends up on Facebook) and noticed a photo with numerous arm bands from the different clubs in Cancun that they went to while they were away. That is something that has not changed, but again, evolved. There are a lot of clubs that have an entry cost that will include unlimited drinks. Some of the clubs in Cancun (and I know elsewhere) put on shows inside and outside of the club area, so you can drink, watch the show, drink, dance, drink, try to scream any type of conversation to the people you are with. Oh, and did I say drink?

Part of the reason for going on these work trips beyond going and seeing the hotel, tasting the food, and experiencing the resort and destination is to look and observe the people at the resort. Look at the clientele that is there, do they seem to be having a good time, and who out of your personal client base would you think would be a good fit for this hotel/resort/destination.

Cancun was, is and I think will be for a long time, a strong destination, no matter what people say. People are travelling to Mexico, and they are going to Cancun, and they are going to the clubs, markets, shopping, etc. I saw proof of that last week.

1990 – 2013 – that is 23 years between my first trip to Cancun and my most recent trip to Cancun. I have a feeling I will go back to Cancun again soon. I will probably NOT be the one in the Facebook photo of the arm full of wristbands from the clubs, but more like the one sitting with a drink at the hotel lobby bar. That is the different of being 19 vs….well…you can do the math!!

I snapped at my dental hygenist tonight.

I didn’t mean to, but it just happened. The same way as this post may sound like a bit of a rant, it isn’t really. It is just a point to explain how people feel when things are said to them.

Here is how the conversation went down:

Hygenist: “You look nice and tanned, were you away?”
Me: “Yes, I was away for work.”
Hygenist: “Where were you?”
Me: “Cancun.”
Hygenist: “Work in Cancun, must be nice.”
Me: “Whatever, let’s move on”.

I really didn’t want to get into anymore with her. This is not the first time, or the second or third that this has happened to me. It happened a couple of weeks ago in a Facebook chat, with similar questions, and when I replied I was going to Cancun for work, the reply was “must be nice”.

My job title is senior travel consultant. Travel agent. Travel Professional. Please note that each of those titles has the word TRAVEL in the title.

The funny thing about is that I compared to some people that I work with, I hardly travel. A co-worker took a three week vacation this past September. I have NEVER taken a three week vacation. I have never taken a TWO week vacation. This summer I took a 10 day vacation. That was the longest “vacation” I have ever taken in my 23 years of working in the travel business.

Yes, I have the opportunity to pay reduced rates for travel to see new hotels, destinations, experiences. It is all to enhance my job description – which is travel sales. If I know more about a hotel, destination, cruise line, theme park, I can sell it better to my customers. If I can make my customers happy, I will make my employer happy. If I can make my employer happy, I get to keep my job. And every two weeks I get a present in my bank account.

That is not any different than anyone that works full time.

I think I will end this here. I think you get the point I am trying to make.

I just read this tonight – “don’t compare yourself to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about”.