i am still amazed at what will trigger me to drop a few words on internet in the form of this blog.
OK. so, i am getting ready for a 3week, solo trip to Europe and one of the ideas that is making a hellava lot of sense to me is "one bag". yeah, one bag to carry my travelwares for the duration of the trip. now, that can seems like a pretty okay idea when you are thinking about a fairly large duffle bag. but, when you start to read and get more advice on the size (smaller) of the bag it starts to become a bit more daunting. but, i have decided that it could and more importantly WILL be done. really, how many socks, and extra pairs of sneakers do i need? i am just going to be a tourist, not some high-society fella crashing black-tie events. so, i think i can leave the extra wardrobe stateside.
BUT, i have to tell you the idea of using one bag for such an extended visit is a bit eye-opening. it really made me realize just how much i have in terms of clothing. i know we all like to talk about how bad we have it with the recession but looking at what i was gonna need for 3weeks and comparing to what i already had....well, let's just say that i am doing really well. just another example of how you have to sometimes change your perspective to gain any real insight of your own situation. relax. i am not advocating giving all your stuff away and going "monk". i am saying taking a good look at what you truly have before you start complaining about things, and very often you will have something wonderful already there and just overlook it.
Well, now that i was thinking about "one bag" that led me to ponder about how we as a society look at issues and subsquently our thoughts on solutions.
i get the definite impression that we are always looking for a solution that was done somewhere else, hence the idea of "one size/ one way". sure, i have simplified the idea. however, when i read or watch the news (only when i can't find a good book) it always seems like somebody is pontificating about a single way to do a solution. really? i think there are a like "infinity divided by ten" possible solutions that could be tried or at least discussed.
-take europe for example, a lot of folks say that their system for healthcare is how we need to go. well, i think we can say that what works in europe won't work here and that is based simply on the sheer delta in size of both populations, and geography. also, europe is a continent that has individual countries with their own systems. see, there is NO ONE SIZE here. now, there is nothing wrong with looking to other ways for some insight, but a straight "cut and paste" will not work. (hey, DC! the same goes for you too when applying your R's and D's)
OK, no more politics. i have to admit that doing my research for this trip has really allowed me to see another way (europe, EU, euro, etc..) and it really makes me appreciate the USA. think of the amount of different countries, different languages, different cultures, different monies and it makes me realize just how awesome this American experiment truly is. for all of the issues, it still feels that we are so lucky in terms of space, resources, and common money/language/culture. ( i know some will argue the culture point)
granted, it is alot easier now with the EU in terms of travel/money. i really look forward to this first hand. is it really that much better? the concept of the EU makes me think of how the north american continent might look if not for manifest destiny. something to thing about.
well, that is really all i have for now.
-just my 2cents
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