Some friends from Scotland recently came for a visit. Barbara and Campbell spent a week living at my home and enjoyed an easy-going vacation. I always treasure the time we spend together for many reasons but it also helps me to recognize the importance of so many things that I sometimes take for granted. Because I had to work during the day, I was unable to accompany them or provide them with a tour of the sights. This may have been a good thing. I have a tendency to plan every detail of a vacation and am sure I would have insisted on taking in museums and seeing many historical landmarks. Because they were left to their own, every evening I found myself anxious to hear all about their days adventures.
Barbara and Campbell discovered ways to explore and entertain themselves while I was at work. Choosing not to rent a car, they found pleasure in taking the train into Boston and simply walking around. They had no agenda and weren't always sure exactly where they were or what they would find there. It was refreshing to hear them talk about endless hours of strolling the streets of Boston, popping into various shops to uncover new and unexpected treasures. When they needed a break, they simply walked into the nearest bar (they always called them "pubs" which make them sound so much more interesting) for a pint and a bite to eat. No museums, no scurrying from one place to get to the next, no rush or worries.
I was worried that they would find themselves bored just hanging around my house with nothing to do. I shouldn't have. On the days that they did not go into Boston, they walked for miles all about my little town. One day they set off for the local Walmart, about 2.5 miles way. On their walk, they stopped to have tea at a Friendly's, chatting up the waitress and laughingly getting a "pensioner's discount". At Walmart, they spent hours just drifting around, taking in the wide range of selections and marvelling at the bargain prices. The return walk found them at the Ninety-Nine for an afternoon cocktail before ambling back to the house with their purchases.
On another day at home, they walked in the opposite direction, ending almost 4 miles up Main Street at a large grocery store and strip mall. Demoulas, Home Goods and Picadilly Pub featured prominently in their tales of adventures for the day's outing.
After every outing, Barbara and Campbell delighted in displaying their purchases and were thrilled with the bargains they got. I take for granted just how comparatively inexpensive things are here. Time and time again, they pointed out that they would pay twice as much for a product.
They took the time to see everything and take in all the details that I would normally just ignore, things that I had just taken for granted. They had enthusiasm in their voices when they talked about all the places they had visited during the day. These are places that I pass by every day in my busy life and never take the time to give a second thought.
So, thank you, dear Barbara and Campbell, for helping me to realize that I need to slow down and see things that I don't usually even give a second thought to. I need to recognize that a simple walk can hold an adventure instead of a means of exercise. Thank you for helping me to recognize that I am, indeed, a very lucky person.
Other things I take for granted that my friends found special:
- Hershey Kisses
- Zippered storage bags
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
- Target
- Dunkin' Donuts
- Mottos on license plates
- Police logs in the local newspaper
- Christmas Tree Shop
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