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Some people have a hard time doing nothing. They have to be on the move, puttering and putzing with this or that. I always suspect that these folks want to keep themselves busy so they can’t stop to think. Buddha said something about the importance of being comfortable with yourself, alone with nothing to do. I must say, in all honesty, that doing nothing comes fairly naturally to me. I’ll avoid the obvious punch lines to that statement and let you fill in your own blanks. But it’s true. I can just sit in one place and watch the sea or the passing crowd or the birds outside my windows for hours. Usually, though, I can’t stop thinking during these periods of what looks like idleness. Maybe that’s part of being a writer, I’m not sure. My head just keeps working. Except when I’m away on vacation, when I often find ways to give my brain some time off too.
And so even on a local getaway, my recent backyard vacation, I was able to just take a breather, mentally and physically. It felt good. And it served as a reminder about how much fun it can be in Fort Lauderdale to do exactly that. Nothing. There really are so many things to do around Broward County, whether that means visiting the attractions, or driving a jet ski or fishing for swordfish or whatever. The list of possibilities seems endless. But by checking into a hotel a few miles from my home, I realized that even on the most active part of the beach you can just relax if you want to. No need to rush around in order to enjoy the experience.
We spent a lot of time during this week, Gwendolyn and I, just lazing around our room. Our lovely balcony looked directly on to the sea. We left the drapes open every night before going to sleep so that the earliest rays of sunrise would be the first thing we saw each morning. The sun was coming up at about 7 a.m. that week and it climbed behind towering bulky banks of rainless clouds. I saw this each day and it was gorgeous. Other times we just sort of wandered aimlessly around the beach sidewalks or sat in the mid-afternoon shade to sip a cold beer somewhere. Or listened to live music in the evenings. We did the wonderful Segway tour at Birch State Park, took a boat ride, went swimming. But for the most part, we just kicked back and savored the chance to do nothing. Try it yourself sometime. It’s not a bad way to spend a week.
And so even on a local getaway, my recent backyard vacation, I was able to just take a breather, mentally and physically. It felt good. And it served as a reminder about how much fun it can be in Fort Lauderdale to do exactly that. Nothing. There really are so many things to do around Broward County, whether that means visiting the attractions, or driving a jet ski or fishing for swordfish or whatever. The list of possibilities seems endless. But by checking into a hotel a few miles from my home, I realized that even on the most active part of the beach you can just relax if you want to. No need to rush around in order to enjoy the experience.
We spent a lot of time during this week, Gwendolyn and I, just lazing around our room. Our lovely balcony looked directly on to the sea. We left the drapes open every night before going to sleep so that the earliest rays of sunrise would be the first thing we saw each morning. The sun was coming up at about 7 a.m. that week and it climbed behind towering bulky banks of rainless clouds. I saw this each day and it was gorgeous. Other times we just sort of wandered aimlessly around the beach sidewalks or sat in the mid-afternoon shade to sip a cold beer somewhere. Or listened to live music in the evenings. We did the wonderful Segway tour at Birch State Park, took a boat ride, went swimming. But for the most part, we just kicked back and savored the chance to do nothing. Try it yourself sometime. It’s not a bad way to spend a week.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 4:51 PM
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