Phoenix to London

A slight stutter on Saturday, May 27th, actually panic - waking to the news about the British Airways I.T. hiccup. Frankly, a full-scale belch with the entire system down, and London Heathrow, our first destination, on its knees with stranded passengers & lost luggage. I tried for several hours to contact their reservationists, only to be routed to pre-recorded messages extending apologies for the inconvenience. I was trying to make alternative arrangements in the event their planes were still grounded today. A 24-hour delay would be acceptable for us, but beyond that, our pre-purchased tickets for events in London would be in serious trouble. I finally called American Airlines, their One-World partner, who connected me to the British desk via special line not available to the general public. They assured me that our Sunday evening departure out of Phoenix would be on time as originally scheduled and walla, here we are!   We're now heading to London. Our non-stop British Airways 747 left Phoenix about 7:30pm - 4 hours ago. We're a little concerned with safety. In the past, we've had to deal with local thugs in Bombay, Vietnam, & Brazil - all without incident, but a few heart-stopping moments along the way I assure you. This trip, we're heading directly into the heart of recent ISIS activity, but overall security has been elevated as well. Along with several major airports in the U.S., TSA has increased security screening in the last few days and now, any electronic equipment larger than a cell phone must be placed in a separate bin, along with books and food items. The process is now a little longer, but better safe than sorry. As we always do, vigilance is the first line of defense and beyond that, we're in God's hands & His masterplan. As the glow of the U.S mainland fades and Cheryl drifts off for a nap, I find myself reflecting a bit on the country we’re leaving behind for several weeks. Since retiring almost 6 years ago to the day, we’ve been around the world a few times and have supplemented those 3-4 month voyages with ‘shorter’, 45-60 day cruises…logging well over 1,200 days on a ship while visiting 150+ countries. While we’ve met many beautiful people and visited some incredible destinations, returning to America is always like Dorothy returning to Kansas…there’s no place like home...there's NO PLACE like home. 

And yet, things have changed...at home. It surely has evolved from my meek childhood In Iowa when flip-phones were only the creation of movie directors, and large-scale violence…well, it was much more subdued & infrequent. So what’s wrong with our country today? This is a question that everyone seems to have an answer to, and seem more concerned with proving why they’re right instead of trying to actually fix the issues. And hey, I don't profess to begin to have all the answers, or even some of them. As mentioned elsewhere in this blog and a few years ago, this Internet travel journal is dedicated to my wife, my kids, & our grandkids with the hope that someday they'll sit back and reflect on the 'ol man...that while he couldn't pound a nail with a hammer, he DID have a little common sense and understood people. Like everyone else, I only have opinions, and with that, the privilege as an American to express them - right, wrong, or indifferent. 

Very Comfortable 

So, think for a minute about computers, cell phones, cars, houses, a college education, participating in drum corps. What do all of these things have in common? They seem to have value. They mean something to our society. Our small minds have dispensed a big portion of the attention we possess to these so called valuables. We willingly devote our time, our money and our attention to these tangibles because we have deemed them worth it.

Well, where there's one list there's always another, so on the flip side let me give you a list of items that don’t seem to have value in our society anymore. Ready? Human life. Wow, that’s a pretty short list isn’t it? In our desire to own and worship all of these objects we have begun to objectify ourselves. In my opinion, life has lost its worth…death has lost its sting. It rolls easily from our tongues too easily. It's in the news everyday.

Nighty-Night!

That’s why we know the name O.J. Simpson & Casey Anthony. That is why we have Alton Sterling cases. That’s why someone took the opportunity to turn a peaceful Dallas protest into the massacre of officers ending the lives of five people. Life is worthless. Someone else’s life is worthless. This is not an issue of race. It is not a problem of civil rights or racism from both parties. This is not an issue of politics and taking the correct political stand. This is the product of a nation who is swift to decide blame. A nation who believes it is better to respond in the heat of the emotion-heightened moment than it is to stop and evaluate situations. This is a problem of both officer and civilian matter. 

We are a nation with officers who go on average, though it varies by state and department, about 19 weeks to an academy and expect that and some mentor training to be enough preparation for the intense situations they will face day-to-day on the job. We are a nation who sings along to rap songs degrading and disrespecting the very men and women we call when we need help. We are a nation that turns peaceful protesting into fires & looting...in the name of some sick and twisted justice. Remember Ferguson? We are the nation that chooses to honor the fallen societal members by blasting their last moments of life all over the Internet. We are a nation that would rather argue over gun control and our amendment rights than focus on the fact that we have no rights when we are dead. We are the nation that repeatedly uses the phrase “people kill people” as an excuse without realizing how utterly true and disgusting those three words are. It’s not just one group’s fault and we can’t just keep killing each other and pointing fingers. 

One of the news organizations, either the Washington Post or NY Times, reported on-line a few weeks ago that in early January of this year, the 50 biggest cities in the nation had an increased homicide rate of nearly 17 percent in 2015. With the media being so immensely focused on pushing political agendas and selling stories, it is hard to narrow down those homicide numbers to the past six months because we as a country seem to only be interested in the deaths that involve big guns and hate crimes. Regardless of weapons or motive, one idea rings clear through all of these tragedies - our response is to kill. And, while as a society we would eagerly like to pretend we know the rationale behind these situations, whether or not the decision to end a life was made for the sake of vengeance or out of fear...it can only be determined by the killer himself. You know, that’s a word we don’t hear a lot anymore? We’re much more concerned with labeling the life-ender a shooter, an officer, or a terrorist. I guess killer doesn’t have such a sting. Despite the external components of these issues- the name we call, the verdict we give, the excuses the accused provide - the problem is the internal immunity we have to caring for anyone but ourselves. We seem to walk around this earth in three states; oblivion of the turmoil we live in with the chirps and dings of our social media profiles distracting us, upheaval and unrest about the latest tragedy and political argument our friends our posting about, or fear of the opposition taking the only thing we truly have, the thing we seem to only think about moments before it is taken from us. We don’t evaluate and we don’t think critically. We have created a society stuck in the middle of some false dilemma.

The truth is...and for those of you who know me well...the truth is and to lay it on the line, I’m done caring about the statistics of black-on-black crime. I’m done caring if more police officers died by the hands of a white guy than they did by the hands of an African American. I’m done caring about the Black Lives Matter movement or the Blue Lives Matter movement or the next movement that will only be a furthering division among the people of our country. What I do care about is human life. I care about the people on this planet and more specifically in my country. I care about the chance they have at making something of themselves. I care about the only thing in this life we are entitled to…and that is… opportunity. This country is one of the few where you have the chance to become whatever you want, regardless of your political beliefs, your personal morals and the excuses you’ve made for not doing so yet because of your skin color, or gender, or sexual preferences, or financial status. If you want something bad enough, if you’re willing to work for it, America is where you can achieve it; and if you don’t believe me you should take a look at where some of our finest started out. 

But, you obviously can’t do it if you’re dead. So let’s start leaving our futures and our destiny's up to each other and stop making martyrs and murderers out of ourselves. Stop living in the era of fear and hate and start trying to compromise. Are we going to agree on everything? Nope...but let’s stop fighting for the sake of fighting. As white people, as black people, as Hispanics, as every orientation, can we just start being people? No, not republicans or democrats. Not gays and straights. Not majorities and minorities. Not officers and civilians. Just people respecting other people. Pure & simple. I open Facebook first thing in the morning and folks are slinging mud in every direction, and more often than not without basis or true understanding. 

I can name off several intelligent and world-altering individuals who spoke of the dangers of violence for the sake of violence. It gets nowhere. It has gotten us here, a place that I think we can all agree is pretty darn sickening & devastating. So let’s end it. Let’s stop arguing about it and start talking about it. Let’s start conversing about solutions and offering condolences instead of sharing "witty" negative remarks that you see on Facebook every single day, which seems to only be getting worse. In plain, uncensored language...it's bullshit. If you’re an officer being subjected to unfair stigmas…and trust me, I believe they are unfair…then go out and put forth the effort to do a random act of kindness to change them. Like mine, I know your plate is already pretty full, but don’t let the only thing the news has to report be that of you ending a life. If you’re an African American being subjected to unfair stigmas…and trust me, I believe they are unfair…then go out and prove everyone wrong. Encourage each other to rise up with your words and not your fists and stop letting your legacy be defined as one filled with violence - even the violence committed against you, because I’ll be the first to acknowledge that you’ve had your share of historical injustices. Let’s spread a little more hope and a lot less hate, because at the end of the day, no agenda really matters. I was pretty isolated growing up in Iowa. Some of my neighbors and best buddies were black. I was given the book, "Black Like Me". I thought it was fiction. I couldn't believe human beings were treated so terribly by other human beings...just because of skin color. What a rude awakening.  

No anti-gun lobbyist wins. No race group wins. Lives are lost. People lose.

Humanity loses.

And with that, I think I’ll join Cheryl in a nap. We arrive in London about 7 hours from now…1:30pm local time. One of our first walking tours will take us on the same route as Jack the Ripper - the notorious serial killer who once terrorized London with savage, absolutely brutal mutilations.  

How ironic...just writing about hate & violence back home…

I’m awake again. We’re still about 5 hours from London.  A quick power-nap & now with coffee in-hand as Cheryl still snoozes, I’d like to flip the coin for a few minutes and touch on what's right with America. I think it’s only fair and truly, we have so much to be thankful for. And for those of you who’ve followed our travel blog, you know already we’ve seen the extreme in both directions - the largest, most modern cities in the world to the most remote, isolated islands in the middle of nowhere. Topping the isolation list would be Pitcarin...a spec in the Pacific ocean, population 49, a few thousand miles northeast of New Zealand. From the windswept deserts of Egypt to the desolate, towering glaciers of Antarctica. I could write a book about every place we stopped - how friendly the Polynesians were, how sweet the gentle Balinese, how gracious the smiling people of Thailand. How long would it be before we sail back to French Polynesia, or Borneo and its orangutan-inhabited rain forests? To Madagascar and its leaping lemurs? To Africa and the naked, smiling drummers? Oh…and the 2-day safari – unsurpassed & almost impossible to describe. Turn on National Geographic, and there you have it. New Zealand was pristine, with virtuous people to match. Australia was mesmerizing – so diverse in culture & landscape - such wonderful people. The beauty of Bali - the food of Thailand, the extremes of Manila, the stench of Bombay. There was the madness of Vietnam, the angelic children in moody Madagascar, the amazing coastlines and mountains of Cape Town, lovely St. Helena, and mysterious Devil’s Island. And the Mediterranean - dozens of breathtaking ports, from Barcelona to Santorini. The ruins in Athens - the devastation in Pompai, the Vatican, Collesium, and other historical sites in Rome. Pisa really does have a leaning tower, and the dragons on Komodo Island as advertised, are as deadly as Jurassic Park. Snorkling the Great Barrier Reef? Cheryl was brave enough to do it as I sipped Rum from above on our tour boat and distracted the Great White Sharks hovering nearby. 

How can I explain what surfing atop the breaking crest of a 20-40 foot ocean wave feels like such as we experienced off South America? Cape Horn has the reputation of being the most fearsome stretch of water in the world, right up there with the Tasman Sea. Having now done both, I would take the Tasman Sea any day. Cape Horn has earned her reputation. The ocean winds blow easterly across thousands of miles of emptiness with nothing to slow them down. Crossing Drake Passage and rounding the Cape, we're thrown into a force nine to ten gale. The waves break over the bow and the ship rattles with each massive pitch as we climb over the waves and crash down on the other side. This persisted for three days & three nights. Not to mention the yaw is huge, because when you go sideways to the waves instead on head on, we roll. The deck disappears from under your feet and then comes back up to meet you, making you feel like you're climbing a mountain, then running down it by turns. The roll means that when you look out the window one minute you see almost nothing but water, and the next you see almost nothing but sky. 

I’ve digressed here.

So America…let’s just remember that America still leads the world in the principles that matter most: The rule of law, freedom of religion, equal rights, freedom from an oppressive government and, fortunately for me and our blog, freedom of speech – freedom of the press. I don’t mean I believe America is perfect – I just mean that our country is still closer to perfect than any other country in the history of the world.  We talk about high gas prices, crooked politicians, campaign & election fraud, and how much people from one political party allegedly hate everyone from the other. Only one day a year…July 4th…do we get to put it all aside and marvel at how a few brave men risked their lives to stand up for what they believed in. 

As someone who wakes early each day and tries to digest world news on CNN, Fox, & MSNBC, I'll admit that I am part of the chorus of people who talk about our problems. But there's nothing wrong with that, so long as you also occasionally take the time to talk about the other side. And that's what I want to do now by asking the question that never seems to be of interest to the mainstream media, or as Trump so eloquently puts it, “fake news”.

What's right with America?  Let's start with our much-maligned economy. I'm not trying to sugarcoat it; times are definitely tough for an awful lot of families right now, and in many ways. But you know what? I think it's getting better. We've made it through a depression; we've made it through wars, oil shocks, and major terrorist attacks and we're still standing. In fact, we're not just standing, we're towering over the rest of the world.  Our economy is almost as big as the next four largest economies on Earth (Japan, Germany, China and Great Britain) combined. The last time I checked (December) the state of California alone had an economy as large as the entire country of France. Illinois had the same GDP as all of Mexico. New York matched the entire GDP of Brazil. Florida's economy was as large as South Korea's. Texas had a GDP roughly equal to Canada's. Michigan's economy was as large as the entire country of Argentina.

It takes a lot longer to turn around an aircraft carrier than it does a dinghy, but the problem we have is with our ship's captain – not so much Trump himself, but the army of pea-brains in Washington. I honestly believe Trump's trying to do the right thing and in fact, has already set in motion many of his campaign promises. I am, however, deeply concerned with the circumstances surrounding the termination of James Comey and the potential ramifications. This has the markings of an administration imploding. Hearings start soon. We'll see.

   

Anyway...

What's right with America? How about the way we educate our children. Sure, I complain a lot about left-wing professors and how some wealthy private universities hoard their billions while charging obscene amounts for tuition, but the truth is that our universities are always ranked among the best in the world. Students aren't fleeing America to go to college in Japan, India, or China -- it's the other way around. We open our colleges and universities to more than 80,000 foreign professors, scholars and educators each year and we have more students in college right now than those three countries combined.

What's right with America? Our world-class universities don't require you to have an elite family name or Rockefeller-type wealth to get in. We don't care about your race, gender or nationality. You just have to be smart enough and work hard for it. What a concept, huh?  

What's right with America? How about the way we treat the less fortunate? With no help from our government, Americans gave a record $306 billion to charities last year alone. We give twice as much as the next closest country and, relative to the size of our economies, we give 1,000 percent more than the French.

What's right with America? It's not just the wealthy who are generous. Two-thirds of American families making under $100,000 a year give to charity. Compassion is ingrained in our culture like no other. That said, I wish folks would give more to my heart-passion of drum corps!

What's right with America? How about our supposedly third-world health care system? We spend more on health care per person than Switzerland, Germany, Canada, or any other country you can think of. Do we still have problems? Absolutely, but don't fall for "the grass is greener" crowd; every country has health care problems.

What's right with America? We love our country. Recent surveys found that 77% of Americans are very proud of their nationality. That puts us in a first place tie with the Irish. Australia was next and no one else was really even close.  I could go on and on, but my point is that we don't need the so often wished for "change" in this country, we just need proper perspective. While most of us inherently know that we've won the lottery by living here, we don't often think about the reasons why.

I can smell breakfast – the carts are rolling. Time to wake Cheryl!  We're now about 3 hours from touchdown in London. At some point this next week, I'll draw a brief comparison between British Airways & American Airlines - not being biased here, but American wins at this point!

Arriving London - May 29, 2017 - 1pm

Beautiful Heathrow Terminal

No Transportation Shortage!