Sure! Why not? And, that’s exactly what I’m doing these days – enjoying a holiday.
- It’s good to get a new perspective on things. See things from a different vantage point. Get away from the familiar and see something new. New faces, new places, new activities.
- Recharge the batteries. Sharpen the axe. Step back and take a deep breathe. Do some deeper thinking.
- And finally, my favorite, relax and enjoy yourself!
My holiday so far has touched on these areas as follows:
New Perspective: Spent a day in Canberra visiting the sights. Went to the Parliment Building; took the tour and bumped into and old acquaintance from Alice Springs. He was working there as a tour guide. What a pleasant surprise. Had lunch with him after we toured the Botanic Gardens and he finished work at 1pm. Then we headed off to the War Memorial. Nice to visit these inspiring places that gave me a different perspective and an appreciation for this wonderful country – Australia.
Sharpen the Axe: On the drive from Canberra to Batemans Bay, we stopped off at a thrift store and I picked up several books. Just finished reading one of them, “Stephen Hawkin: A life in Science.” Very inspiring story about what a person can do when focused. Stephen Hawking has not let his “ALS” disability get in the way of achieving what he wants in life. Now, I’m into the second book, “The Road Ahead” by Bill Gates. I find this story especially interesting as I lived through those early years when the personal computer was just getting off the ground. Bill gives a great account of those early days. He also talks about what’s coming in the future. The book was written over 15 years ago and most of the things he predicted are now here. How come I feel a bit of regret that I didn’t read this book 15 years ago when it first came out?! Reading these books has motivated me to focus more on my goals; what I want to accomplish in life.
Relax and Enjoy: Just got off a wonderful boat tour of the Clyde River starting from Batemans Bay. Enjoyed almost perfect weather conditons; not too hot, nice breaze and mostly sunny. We were served a scrumptions fish and chips meal; and a free drink. We got a free drink because yesterday they cacelled our tour – not enough people. So, they asked if we could “come back tomorrow?” “Sure, why not!” was our chorus response. So, they remembered us and gave us a round of free drinks to go with our delicious fish and chips. And, the lady serving was most agreeable, smiling and friendly (At the end of the tour I couldn’t resist telling her to “cheer up!”) We left the boat for a half hour walk around tour of Nelligen, a small town along the river. Lovely spot. We walked up the hill to the old Catholic Church. Reminded me of the Abbeys in England, only a lot smaller. But very lovely none the less. And the view of the river from the hill is breathtakingly beautiful. Wouldn’t you know, it’s for sale. Marieta took down the phone number. I called but the mobile was out of effective range. I’ll try again later.
As I’m on holiday I’m thinking about the new year to come. What I want to accomplish, what I want to achieve. How to streamline my efforts, get rid of the time wasting activities. So, I reckon a holiday is good for the soul; helps to dust off the cobwebs, shake off the rust.
A few more days here in the NSW south coast and then off to Adelaide for a few days. Then back home to Alice Springs.