“A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present. (“Confucius”)

Florida seems deceptively easy to exit with its nearby coastal waters close by our home in megalopolis South Florida Yet, in driving north to Pensacola, we distanced in a two day period for over 600 miles. Upon exiting the Palm Beach vicinity on the Florida Turnpike, traffic density noticably declined. Proceeding to Lake City and then turned west on Interstate 10, we encountered  “Deep South” traditions that remain firmly entrenched in these northerly portions of the state. Disturbing images that seemed offensive to my mind would soon catch my eye. Billboards placed along the highway depicted a brazen young lady aiming a semi automatic rifle to advertise a gun shop ahead. An anti-abortion sign quoted Bible scripts accompanied by an unborn fetus in full display. A rebel flag furled in the distance. A white pickup truck sped past my vehicle displaying racist bumper stickers.

Passing endless strands of tree growth amidst swampy river conditions inland through the Florida Panhandle, I became keenly aware of the puzzling isolation of Florida’s capital city, Tallahassee. Why was our state government situated so far from the busy urban hubs of Orlando, Tampa, and Miami? Continuing westward, the road would traverse steep hills and re-enter the Gulf coast at Pensacola’s Escambia Bay.
 
I always assumed Pensacola mainly thrived as another beach destination in tourist-friendly Florida. Yet our two-day stay along the shores of Escambia Bay provided ample proof of a “Southern proud”, port city of cultural, military and historical interest to this curious minded traveler. No doubt, I found polite statements of “how ya all doin”and “yes ma’am” from locals to be somewhat foreign to my informal tastes in interpersonal encounters. Yet the presence of iconic statues and antebellum buildings overlooking serene squares seemed oddly comforting to me amidst the frenzied pace of today’s times.

Spending a morning visit on Saturday at the National Naval Aviation Museum became a highlight of this brief Pensacola visit. On display there, I observed a vast collection of American aircraft from simple, World War I biplanes through supersonic, nuclear aircraft in the present. In particular, I enjoyed the opportunity to listen to the stories of a former Navy pilot who described the decisions he faced as a pilot on dangerous missions and sit in an actual plane cockpit.

Saturday Afternoon would now leave us time to venture downtown. Stopping at Joe Patti’s Seafood Warehouse, we witnessed the controlled chaos of fresh seafood feverishly sold at bargain prices to masses of Saturday shoppers. A few blocks nearby, Old Town Pensacola would would provided a time warp glimpse at how this area looked in its 19th century past. Sitting quietly in the Old Town Square,I now realized that our road trip adventure had truly begun.

In a recent blog,I considered how to embrace the idea of “open mindedness” to foster acceptance of difference and unity in my country. In this account, I alluded to the idea that Americans. clearly live in “opinion happy” times today as social media gossip and political “spin” propaganda run rampant. Somehow, the creative energies of an art exhibit provides an excellent outlet for me to look more deeply into this matter of “unbiased” thought. Accordingly, if I take the time to examine a painting or sculpture in more patient detail, I typically find alternative ideas for interpreting perplexing arrays of images presented. Sauntering amidst the eclectic collection of gallery displays at the “Art Wynwood” exhibit in Miami this weekend would thus inspire me to pose deep seated value suggestion to my readers for more open minded analysis.

1.How can you productively block out daily distractions to improve your concentrated focus on matters of importance? You might have too much going on in your hectic life as your distracted attention span becomes shorter. Remember the old Aesop adage that the slow tortoise once beat the speedy hare to the finish line.

2.Do you observe optimism of a better life in what you read? In Korea,the goldfish means a sign of good luck, tranquility , and wisdom. Make time to read literature that enlightens your body and mind.

3.Does your pursuit of affluence cloud your vision about how to treat yourself and others humanely? Acquiring wealth without human compassion cannot buy a successful Presidency for Donald Trump. Your ambitions to make money might not give you the satisfaction you need if you alienate yourselves from those around you.

4.Can you continue to love yourself and others in the chaos of everyday life’s demands? If you take yourself too seriously, you might be in for a glorious letdown. You might temper the mental/physical demand of efficient work performance with an occasional laughing fit once in awhile.

5. Are you thankful for being alive today? You were once a child who embraced life in the curious present. Perhaps we should find more time to seek such inner peace in the “now” moment through yoga, prayer, or meditation.

6.How willing are you to accept loss of control and the inevitability of change? What worked for you ten or twenty years ago might be holding you back from fulfilling the needs of your aging realities today. Do not fear what you inevitably cannot control. Try something new.

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” – (JOHN F. KENNEDY)

I always embraced the challenge of teaching freshman students to think “critically” in my thirteen year tenure at Broward College. Upon instructing them to form their opinions on the basis of sound evidence, prior knowledge, and logical reasoning, I saw significant progress in their comprehension of difficult reading passages. By questioning their assumptions when “reading between the lines”, they also seemed more aware about how their personal biases could impair rational thinking about a particular issue at hand.

Consider the following examples:

“ The mechanic purchased nails for the weekend project.They were very strong and worked well.No hammer touched those nails.”

Would one assume in this case that the mechanic was a man with handyman skills who purchased nails to pound on a wall or would they see the logic that the items bought were indeed false fingernails worn by a woman?

“Norman was lying in the middle of a busy road with trucks and cars rapidly coming down the highway. No one ever saw him.”

Picturing a motor vehicle accident, many would interpret this scenario as unlikely to happen. Yet this person might be hidden somehow in the median strip of deep grass or perhaps the road was closed to traffic. More imaginatively, he(she) might even be an invisible ghost.

As you see, faulty assumptions can cause one to think/act wrongly in the rush to make hasty judgments in their daily life. Do you interpret anger from someone who blows their car horn at you as you sit idly at a busy intersection? To what extent do you allow emotionally charged propaganda cloud your mind toward extreme , right wing or left wing thinking? How do the politically polarized terms sexism, racism, and Americanism negatively influence your voting behavior?

As we begin to question our own “perceptual cocoon” of self biases, we learn to observe “how we think” as a vital component of “what we think.”Listen keenly for meaning in both choice of words and non-verbal mannerisms as others speak, take a greater interest in obtaining facts on all sides of an issue and embrace the unifying heart of an “open mind. Gloomy thoughts in crisis can lead to “glass empty” pessimism. So you might alter your perceptions then to appreciate the beauty of life surrounding you and thus feel the joy of “glass full”optimism”.

“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” (Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day” Film)

Stuck In Dark Hole Of Time’s Endless Day Grind
Due Time To Stop Shadows From Messing My Mind
Stark Lessons Of Winter- Shun Fear To Survive
Arouse Blood Felt Ardor -Breathe Deeply Alive
 

Ground Hog Finds Taste For Green Signs Of New Spring
While Always Aware That Fierce Nature Crowns King
It’s Better To Wait – Thawed Ground Offers Best Choice
For Many More Morsels Heeds Sunshine Rejoice

Last Snow In The Woods – No There’s More Of The Same
So Give Your Best Now – Don’t Dismantle Will’s Flame
Don’t Burden Your Mind – Shun Fear’s Vise Of Control
You Can Always Find Light When You Lie Deep In A Hole

You’re More Than A Groundhog Whose Instincts Command
So Examine Resolve To Reach Life Choice As Planned

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
― Benjamin Franklin

America now stalls in a crisis of political stalemate as the prospects of a federal governmental shutdown looms in less than a day. Why does the President seesaw back and forth about immigration goals/policies that he will support to prolong this crisis? Why does Congress require an impending catastrophe to motivate them to pass a viable, budgetary plan? How much does our country’s image suffer at home and abroad in the current divisive atmosphere of hate and blame?

 Similarly, our worldwide travel experiences have taught us that waiting to the last moment to prepare for unfamiliar wanderings can result in unintended negative circumstances. Becoming aware of the challenges of cultural difference, border entry/exit and weather unpredictability, for instance, requires mindful diligence in our trip pre-planning efforts. Several lessons from our traveling past come to mind to more proactively plan our journeys beforehand.

When Communism reigned in Eastern Europe decades ago, our innocent arrival as backpacking novices to Prague, Czechoslovakia brought us a rude awakening about how to travel independently. Expecting to book a hotel room for a few nights as the city eerily darkened in early evening, we realized that certain, missing travel documents required for stay in the country would leave us stranded there without opportunity of booking a room. Finding little use for our English language as well as facing a frightening encounter with police ultimately ended with an uncomfortable stay at the American Embassy. We would now learn to familiarize ourselves beforehand with travel restrictions for visiting an unfamiliar country.

Another crisis would be encountered in Spain on a Metro Underground train to and from major sights in Madrid. On July 4, in the early 1990s, I drew attention to myself with my trendy, American sports hat, loose, waist bound fanny pack, and pockets of sloppily protruding map collection in a densely packed, subway atmosphere. Approaching a busy station, several young men working together suddenly sprung on me. They then quickly managed to restrain my arms, spray my eyes with irritant, cut the straps, and “make off” with my fanny pack through the now open, exit doors. Unable to stop their timed getaway, the whereabouts of these valuable possessions would never be found. Wearing our fanny pack inside our clothes, selecting travel attire for function not appearance, and knowing the most dangerous locations in cities beforehand would soon become our norms when traveling by public transportation in densely packed, European cities.

 I vividly recall as well a weather anomaly we experienced on a thirty day camping tour across the “Outback” Of Australia. Not realizing that July in the Southern Hemisphere meant the presence of winter, we were unprepared night after night for the cold, inland regions of this vast continent, at this time of year. Shivering in our frozen tent or in unheated, campground laundry rooms, we learned a hard lesson as tropically accustomed South Floridians to check out our weather tolerance for engaging in future outdoor adventures beforehand.

In a few weeks, my wife and I will embark on our 5th road trip cross country from South Florida.Some featured visits this year will include Seattle, Big Bend and Glacier National Parks and Eastern Canada. Our latest priorities favor improved navigation through online apps/website channels, packing less, and mindfully staying in better contact with our close friends and aging family. I hope you will continue to follow my travel blog as I relate my insights of the present moment in “Snippets of the Traveling Mind.”