Leigh's Views

Now I’ve always lived in a bit of a bubble. Most people call it my ‘happy bubble’ and think I’m more of an ostrich-sticking-my-head-in-the-sand kind of a person. I’ve never really been that into the news – I will watch the local news on occasion and ignore most of what I hear. I don’t really do social media or the internet 24 hour scrolling thing. I often leave the house without my phone - I don’t care if I’m not reachable. The way I figure it, if something's important and will affect me, I’ll learn about it one way or another. For a few years, I’ve been hearing a lot about how people need to ‘unplug’ and get away. But lately, I’ve noticed this has seemed to kick up a few notches. I’ve seen posts about the need for a ‘happy/positive only news channel’. Others about the need for a weekend spent in an isolation tank to ‘detox’ from the world. And, yes, even a few encouraging people to find their ‘happy bubble’ and ignore everything negative. Well, color me impressed. Because, no ...

I had lunch with a friend over the weekend that I hadn’t seen in years. She was so excited to see all of my photos from the crazy places I’ve been since we’ve last been together. As she swiped photo after photo on my tablet, she made comments about so many of them. This place looks so intriguing, that place looks so far off the beaten track, this beach is the best. When she was done, she slowly put the tablet on the table and gave me a funny look. Then she asked me a question I never saw coming. “What are you going to do when you’ve crossed everything off your bucket list?” Uhm, what?! Hold on a minute, who said anything about a bucket list? Bucket lists are for the end of a book. I view what I’m doing as the start of a new chapter. I’m no longer a parent, I’m trying to figure out who I am as an adult. And in order to do that, I’m exploring the world – literally. Okay, okay, I know. Once a parent, always a parent. Just because my child is an adult in his own right doesn’t mean I wo...

Okay, so I’ve been traveling a lot. And I’ve got a science to packing – my shirts neatly rolled and tucked into a homemade cloth bag. My dresses neatly rolled and tucked into another bag. Of course each pair of shoes have their own bag. I could go on, but you get the idea, no need to list each item until I get to my unmentionables. Oops, I mentioned them! Anyway, there I am stuck, waiting for a flight that’s been delayed several times. The young man next to me had been talking endlessly about his fiancée he was flying to see. Enough was enough, I pulled my suitcase onto the seat to dig out a few things to go freshen up. After all, it’s easier to open the thing in the waiting area then the bathroom. In a few seconds, I have what I need and in my mind I think my next move is to head to the nearest bathroom. But no – the young man next to me is making noises like he is choking. Stopping for a second, I turn to him, my case half closed. He starts blabbing something about how organized my...