The College World Series
A few years ago I was on a plane and I happened to be sitting next to a gentleman who told me that he worked for ESPN2. At the time, he was on his way to work a college football game in one of the major conferences. He wasn't on air personality - he was one of the technicians that worked behind the scenes making sure that the broadcast was delivered properly to viewers around the world. When he spoke, I noticed that his voice lacked enthusiasm, and quite frankly I had assumed since he had such a plum job he would be bubbling with excitement. He told me that it wasn't the job it was the assignment. He loved his work, he just didn't look forward to working major college football games because he felt that the sport had traded it's simplicity and beauty for money and prestige. So I asked him, out of all the sports and venues in which he had worked, what was his favorite. He wasted no time telling me the College Baseball World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
I get the opportunity to travel a lot. I spend more than my fair share of nights in hotel rooms. I've grown accustomed to staying at the major hotels' "budget brands". While there are a few that I avoid like the plague, some are actually pretty nice. But with any hotel, no matter how nice it can be, they all have their annoyances. And when you stay in them for more that the standard "vacation duration" (more than 7 days!), those irritants begin to compound. So, here is a list of those things that irritate me about hotel rooms. You probably have some of your own. These are mine.
Many of you are familiar with that old Johnny Cash Song, "I've Been Everywhere". Well for me, it seems that over the past few years I have been living that song. And man, am I tired!
Quenepas are a tart fruit that grows in the tropics. A few years back, I had the opportunity to take a business trip with my boss to Puerto Rico, in which we were on a fact finding trip to see if the island would be a viable market for our product. Before leaving, however, one of her employees and friends, mentioned that he had lived on the island as a child and fondly remembered eating quenepas. I'm not sure if he asked her to bring them back, but even if he didn't, I soon found out that he was going to get them anyways.
Many religions have a Traveler's Prayer. There's a Jewish, Orthodox Christian, and even an Islamic prayer. (Beliefnet has a listing of all the Traveler's Prayers). My personal favorite, however, the Traveler's Hymn, the Psalm 121.
Years ago, I was selected as an exchange student at my high school. I had never been anywhere before, so this was my first time traveling and certainly my first time on an airplane. Before boarding the plane, in 1975, my mother gave me a hug and handed me a folded piece of paper, and said to me,"This is the Traveler's Prayer. Recite it before the plan takes off."
When I got on the plane, I opened the piece of paper and on it she had scrawled Psalm 121. I did as she had asked then, and continue to do it today. Part of my pre-travel routine has become the Psalm 121. I get a sense of peace and security when I recite it. In helps to solidify my faith. And it reminds me of my mother. Each time I recite it, I find myself back at that small airport in 1975 getting ready to fly for the first time.
My faith is extremely important to me. It is part of who I am. I have made reciting the Psalm a tradition. Perhaps you have a similar tradition. If you don't, I offer you mine:
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills