Until We Meet Again

Hello friends... it's been awhile, eh? 

For that I offer an explanation...to wit...writing blog posts began to feel a little like work and a bit of a burden. Over the last 9-10 years I have very much enjoyed sharing with you a bit of my life and travels. And, perhaps its the years or just the convergence of events, but I believe it's time for a break.  I guess it was time and I just didn't know it. Timing has never been a strong suit of mine. 

I won't say goodbye because, like most of the Pueblos I too believe in the "cyclical nature of our existence" and I am confident "we will meet again whether in the near future or at a time far off."  Yet, I have been feeling Father Time gently tapping me on the shoulder and poignantly reminding me that life is short and that all things are temporary and I would like to begin a more quiet phase of my life in retirement. 

I don't know Lawrence Toppman - or at least wasn't familiar with him - he was a critic for the Charlotte Observer until his retirement in 2020. But, I recently read an article by him entitled, "The Quiet Retirement: in praise of doing nothing" and it deeply resonated. He spoke of my new favorite Italian phrase, "dolce far niente" or the sweetness of doing nothing.  I wish to embrace this notion - you see, I'm not only retired I'm just plain tired and it's time to rest.  In the article a friend says to Toppman, "You've lowered your expectations" to which he replies, "I think I've simply adjusted my priorities". I am too adjusting my priorities. 

In college I was acting and directing plays, working 3 days a week as a student assistant,  and working with my father on the weekends.  My days ran from 8AM until 10:30 PM. When I got my teaching credential I worked for my dad, took classes, and did my student teaching (along with becoming a father). As a teacher I directed plays during the school year in addition to my English and Drama teaching workload and also continued to work for my father until he too started teaching -  my days ran from 6AM until 10PM.  When I became an administrator, with those crazy hours and no summer break, I started teaching at the University of Redlands and at USC. I got my doctorate as a single father while running a school district and teaching as an adjunct. 

No wonder, when I retired in 2012, I still maintained a frenetic and, at times, frantic pace. It was all I knew! Luckily, I had my wife, Lupe, and my kids, Jordan, Kevin and Lilly to ground me. I stayed busy. Every month I went on a trip and was gratefully inspired by Edward Abbey and Doug Peacock's marvelous book, "Walking It Off". I began volunteering with Alzheimer's groups and a baseball memory program. I also started to experience some health issues- nothing serious, thank God, but age started catching up with me.

About two and a half years ago someone in the Alzheimer's program demanded a meeting regarding the program I had been facilitating. I am so thankful to that person because it was my impetus to start saying, "ENOUGH".  After years in education I was so bloody tired of meetings. I decided to slowly back off that responsibility despite my love for the participants and their caregivers.  I also wanted to be around to help with my in-laws who are reaching ripe old ages. 

It was time to make some changes. Maybe past time. Some rich kid, born on third base but believing he hit a triple, and from an infamously racist country, bought the social media app of my choice. This owner loves to engage in the culture wars and delights in conspiracy - that, no surprise, has taken the edge off that website. Further, about half of my dear pals left.  I never liked Facebook or the multitude of other social media websites. I have, essentially, already given that up. I assisted our local SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) president with some meetings (there's that word again) but told him, I just couldn't do that anymore either.

And that brings me here... when I began to travel regularly I delighted in taking photos and sharing them on social media. Photography became a key part of my retirement and I sold quite a few photos over the years. But lately? THAT started to feel like work too! 

Here's the deal. I have re-started my retirement with a new focus (or lack thereof!). I sold my travel trailer and my sports car. I still plan on traveling and camping of course. I bought a new truck and put a camper shell on it. I'll be on the road but not with such urgency and necessity. 

I will share what I have been doing for the last year to give you a sense of what's been going on and, with your kind indulgence, I'll share a tiny bit of what's on the horizon if I'm still upright. 

Last August, after the Redwoods trip, my friend Marty and I went to Cleveland for a week to see the Dodgers play the Guardians and visit the Rock Hall. It rained like crazy and we had a tornado set down nearby. All this while a hurricane was actually bearing down on Southern California. Seriously. After that I did take a marvelous road trip - half camping and half hotels to the great Pacific Northwest to visit my sister, her husband, niece and her husband my grand nephew Jack (my spirit animal). It was a sweet trip and I think my sister and I, perhaps recognizing our advancing years, had some of the best chats of our lives...at least from my perspective. I really love her and I am so grateful that she and my remarkable niece are in my life.  

I made lots more photos on that trip but that's not what this post is about. My vertigo returned with a vengeance but I had a trailer camping trip planned for Pinnacles National Park and felt I should go. It was a mistake. I had difficulty driving and walking and thinking. It took me a few days to return home because I had to keep stopping - despite towing a trailer. I admit I was quite anxious. It was a challenge but reinforced some things about future travel and my life in general. (They think I was having vestibular migraines - it seems to have mostly gone away).

Around this time my wife decided, firmly, that she would retire in June 2024. I asked her to make a list of places she might want to travel to post retirement and told her I'd do the same. We'd compare lists and it would be fun. When she showed me her list of about 40 places my first thought was, "My God, I'll be dead before we can do half of these" and, "Oh no...not one trip is camping in the trailer". That sealed the deal... the camper went up for sale soon thereafter and we made some other really cool plans.

We did visit my favorite city - the Big Easy in December and I returned to New Orleans for a week in April of this year for French Quarterfest. What an experience! I visited there with my friend Al Dunn - he's one of those guys that you meet and you fall utterly and naturally into conversation with because you have so darn much in common. I can't wait to see him again. I was also joined by two of my dearest friends Scott and Jen - Lupe and I love 'em. They enhanced the trip immeasurably. In June I went with my son to Pittsburgh to see PNC Park and it was a dream come true. I recently returned from Minneapolis and a SABR event where I got to see my pal Tom Thrash (remember him from the Baseball Hall of Fame and saving me from a spring blizzard?) and met his very cool brother in law and my new friend, Brendan.

This month I'll travel to Phoenix for baseball and then Lupe and I will visit Oahu and Kauai in September for her first big retirement trip.

Next year is already in the works - Fenway Park, Busch Stadium, Coors Field, Yankee Stadium, Devil's Tower and Big Bend National Park for starters. I'm hoping to meet my pals Scott and Craig too next year somewhere in Colorado... we've put it off too long. Maybe you too?

So, you see, I'm not giving up travel just slowing down and setting my phone and camera down for awhile. It's time for repose. I'm looking forward to more serenity and calmness. I also want to spend more time with Joaquin and Finley and Willy - my absolutely incredible grandkids. I need to squeeze them and tease them more regularly.

I would love it if you all could stay in touch - please let's do that! Email me at [email protected] and we will share, together, our latest happenings. What the heck, as long as you don't expect a rapid reply, we can even text! I am going to be giving up most social media - I'll pick up the phone from time to time (not often) and check instagram where I am southwest_dude. That's about it...unless I change my mind for some compelling reason.
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I want to express my love and gratitude to all of you who have read this website and blog the last several years. I also want to say thank you to those of you who have purchased my photos and have them in your homes - you'll never know how much that means to me.

​I leave with a photo of me which, for those of you who knew him, demonstrates that I am, indeed, my father's son.

Until next time.

​If you see a black Toyota Tacoma tooling down the road with a decal on the rear window that reads, dolce far niente, please give me a wave and I'll throw you a well deserved kiss.

All my love...