Come as You Are

Dear BW Readers,

This is the second of the two part series I intended to write about why I think many folks like cruises.

The pic is yours truly in doing a sport activity on the boat, known as Boogie Boarding on the Flowrider.



The Flowrider pumps 13 thousands and recycles them every minute that it is turn on. As you can tell, I am not wearing any sort of make-up, I am a bit overweight but still not ashamed of wearing a bathing suit as over time I've lost 50 lbs. Yes, I'm certain there were opinions held by others of my appearance, but no one in general cared or said anything openly about it. There were plenty of men and women who were obese or underweight, wore thongs or speedos, but during pool time on the 15th and 16th decks, you came as you are. There were plenty who also never donned a swimsuit, more comfortable in shorts and sitting in the shade to read.

This observation also reminded me of the time when I was involved with the One America blog and with the campaigns. Many of us identified with Elizabeth Edwards as she struggled with her weight. She looked like one of us. And I liked it that on this cruise, people of all ages were comfortable with one another.

Of course, folks like cruising too because everything is provided for them--3 solid meals, plus snacks, entertainment of all sorts, room was attended to 3 times a day by many of the stateroom attendants, and there were people to have lunch with if you wanted. I particularly enjoyed the trivia contests and the dancing parties.

Mr. Benny and I had a great time, but I think we didn't totally drink the cruising kool-aid of some that we met on the ship. One woman was celebrating her 71st cruise. I asked why she was a repeat customer. She said she was born for cruising. Not certain what to make of it. Others said they built up "frequent cruising miles" or perks, whereby their trips, except for the flights and drinks, were almost paid for. There was one couple who had been on a cruise three weeks before and was from Bayonne, NJ. Bayonne is not a great town, so I suppose it was a sad commentary that this couple felt the need to get away on cruises frequently. I think I would have just left NJ and move to Florida.

Drawbacks to cruises: Royal Caribbean in particular "nickels and dimes" you for even soft drinks. We paid extra for those sodas. I drank club soda most nights at dinner, and if we wanted any wine or anything else, we paid for those (which were few) at an entertainment establishment because they were cheaper than the Main Dining room.

Overall, I would recommend a cruise to any landlovers for a different experience. I don't recommend a big ship, such as the Allure of the Seas for very introverted folks; 6200 folks and 2200 staff is a lot of people to encounter daily. But would I do this every year, I think Mr. Benny and I believe that we can wait for a couple of years before going again as we want to do more urban trips in the future.

But I do like the idea of "Come as You Are."

One America, Reprised

This morning I was part of a team who helped set up for a staff appreciation day. Over 160 people attended the event and about 23 staff were honored for milestones at my institution.

I had attended one of these events a couple of years ago and thought it was nice. But today, the event was more special. Maybe it was because I put some sweat equity into it and thus, it was more meaningful. Perhaps it was because our newest staff member was being honored for her 5 year milestone. And it was sweet to see her so relaxed and happy.

But I'm pretty certain there was another reason.

One person was being honored in working for my institution for twenty years. She appears to be one of those quiet folks who does a good job, then goes home to tend to her two daughters. She's gotten a few raises, but I wasn't aware she had struggled for years to get her family its own home. Turns out 3 years ago, Habitat for Humanity gave her family that chance.

I was moved when I heard about it today. And in a colleague's ear, I whispered, "she's why my vote was so important. Everyone deserves a chance to get ahead."

This person still volunteers for Habitat for Humanity when she can in their store to help raise money.

John Edwards was so right. So is Barack Obama. An opportunity to have a good place to live, have a good job, raise your family, and retire in dignity. Honoring work over wealth. That's what most of us want. And that's what my institution was doing today: honoring some folks and their work.

This is the One America I will continue to fight for and blog about.