Skip to main content

All Onboard for All-Inclusive

I am not fully convinced of the ethics of all-inclusive resort vacations for a number of reasons. Nonetheless, and in keeping with the old adage, Don't knock it til you've tried it, which applies to most things, excluding illegal activity (drugs) and obviously immoral actions (killing cats, for starters), I have booked an all-inclusive vacation with a delightful friend.

In the wee hours of next Monday morning, we leave for a week of sun, sand, and Scrabble.

Yes, my plan is to lie on the beach with a stack of books, play afternoon-long games of Scrabble by the pool, and snub my nose at the nightly "disco," where I will not dance, drink to excess, or dally with the menfolk.

There is a part of me that feels the need to justify this trip. The time, the money, the extravagance... This is the part of me that fears making mistakes, being unwise or running out of money. The part of me that I'm working to silence. Or at least balance out.

Besides, it's too late. The trip is booked. There's no turning back, so I may as well say goodbye to groundless guilt. And hello to heat!

Next entry: the books I'm bringing.

(also, I apologize for all the alliteration. I can't control myself.)

Comments

  1. i am SO excited!
    where are you going...YES!!!
    umm. take some snacks with you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The ROM, The Earth & Procreation

Disclaimer: This post is intended to generate discussion and a sharing of many opinions. It is NOT intended to judge or condemn anyone's life choices. I had an unexpected moment at the ROM last month. C and I were listening to a presentation for kids on wildlife conservation (or rather, I was listening, and C was eagerly anticipating what live animal would come out next), when a statement caught my attention and still hasn't let go. For most of history, the earth could provide enough resources for the earth's human population. But today, our population is growing rapidly, increasing by 250 000 people every day... Forty years from now, it will require 2 Earths to provide sustainably for our survival as a human species. But we only have 1 Earth. 250 000 people. Every day. That is roughly twice the size of my hometown. In one day. So I did a little math. (First, I rounded down to 200 000, just in case the figures were inflated or failed to account for some sort o...

Fostering FAQ: How Long Will She Stay/Will You Adopt Her?

Our first foster baby came with about 18 hours notice; it was respite care, which means we had him for a few days while his regular foster family had a break/dealt with a family emergency. He stayed 3 nights, long enough to come to church and have a dozen people cooing over his little sleeping cheeks.  With each new visitor to our quiet corner, I explained again that he would be going back to his foster family the next day. Barely a week later, we got a 9am phone call with a fostering request and by the same afternoon, we were snuggling her. This time, we had her for 4 days before church came around. Again, our community was keen to see the little one we had in tow. Again, the question, "How long will she stay?" And this time, "Are you going to adopt her?" Trying out the carrier... -- Here in Toronto, when a child is placed in foster care, it is always for an indefinite length of time. It depends on the parents' situation, and whether they are able to ...

Simone Weil: On "Forms of the Implicit Love of God"

Simone Weil time again! One of the essays in Waiting for God  is entitled "Forms of the Implicit Love of God." Her main argument is that before a soul has "direct contact" with God, there are three types of love that are implicitly  the love of God, though they seem to have a different explicit  object. That is, in loving X, you are really loving Y. (in this case, Y = God). As for the X of the equation, she lists: Love of neighbor  Love of the beauty of the world  Love of religious practices  and a special sidebar to Friendship “Each has the virtue of a sacrament,” she writes. Each of these loves is something to be respected, honoured, and understood both symbolically and concretely. On each page of this essay, I found myself underlining profound, challenging, and thought-provoking words. There's so much to consider that I've gone back several times, mulling it over and wondering how my life would look if I truly believed even half of these thi...