Yesterday’s post was about taking a vacation after you’ve retired. I’d like to add just a few thoughts about the generation gap. The thing about being a slave to your phone has to do with missing out on the essence, adventure and beauty of a road trip. I know our kids have been raised on technology, but I would suggest that when traveling, cell phones should be left home. Not only does this allow for a different view of the world, but it also calls on the brain to work. Soaking in the landscape – breathing the mountain air – watching for landmarks and monuments of days long past – all lead to an invigoration of the senses.

A few years back, my husband traveled with our daughter, husband and two sons through the western states. Everything from Mt. Rushmore to the Grand Canyon and other unbelievable places. Paul hoped they’d be able to take some pictures of Mt. Rushmore, but when the passed by it the next morning, it was fogged in. They did come to a stop though and the fog slowly lifted. They finally were able to see a portion of George Washington’s nose. One grandson thought it strange that Ronald Regan wasn’t up there, but how could he tell if he was? My point is this. We become so conditioned and controlled by our devices, we often fail to see the magnificence of God’s vast array of color, variable landscapes, amazing animals and so much more, because we are buried in social media.

I must admit, when we traveled in our van several years ago with our kids, there was a TV available for them to watch movies. It helped during the boring parts of the trips, but Paul wanted them to experience the journey rather than anything else.

Today, we have difficulty getting in the car to do weekly shopping chores. After a few minutes behind a cart and trying to reach things on the top shelf, our out of shape bodies are screaming at us. Yesterday I got out of the car first as Paul parked the car. I saw him come in, but he didn’t see me. He hurriedly pushed ahead to find me, and my voice didn’t reach his ears, so he set out in search of me. I tried to catch him, but he was too far away for me to make contact. It was one of the fastest shopping trips we’ve taken in some time. We also were exhausted by the time we got home. Isn’t the aging process fun?