TRAVEL THOUGHTS

As I get ready, just a week from today, to leave for Europe, this time in the luxury of business class, I am thinking about a poem I wrote, back in 1997.  It is called "Travel Thoughts" and I had much inspiration for that verse.  I was on a twelve day southeast Asia cruise which was absolutely wonderful, touching on Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and ending up in Singapore.  We saw so much beauty, sampled exotic cuisines, watched intricate dances performed by artists wearing exquisite traditional dress, visited holy temples and mosques, and learned a little bit about ourselves.

Brunei Darussalam is a sultanate, a very prosperous country, that is not normally a cruise ship destination.  It is an Islamic country with a high standard of living.  

The day before we docked there and, indeed that morning, announcements had been made on the ship that women should be appropriately dressed ( ie, not wearing halter tops or with bare shoulders or in short shorts ).  We were also requested not to wear yellow, the color of the sultan.

I was amazed to see how many people totally disregarded that request!  Another thing that dismayed me throughout the cruise was overhearing public comments made about the lack of air conditioning in taxis and small local restaurants or general complaints that "things are just not up to American - or British - standards."  I would hang my head in shame.

Travel Thoughts

As we travel about our shrinking globe,
Let us take the time to see,
This earth's most precious resource -
People like you and me.

Though we speak myriad languages,
And may dress in a different style -
A common bond unites us all,
The ability to share a smile.

As we pack for each new adventure,
Let's leave bias and prejudice behind,
Treating others as we'd like to be treated,
Remembering to respect all mankind.

We must pause to see the beauty,
In even the smallest things -
In the smiling eyes of a native child,
In the bright hue of butterfly wings.

Let us take good will as we journey,
No matter how near or how far,
And rejoice in the cultural differences,
That make each of us who we are.

Try to be less hasty to criticize,
As hither and yon we roam,
For if we're always finding fault,
What's the point of leaving home?

To be able to travel is truly a gift,
So be grateful as each journey ends,
For all we have seen and learned on the way,
For the joy of new found friends.

May we share our planet's beauty,
With the utmost respect and care
Leaving nature and all whom we meet,
Better for our having been there.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 1997 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved.