Years ago I was traveling by boat on Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America.

Our guide asked if we would like to visit a family that lived on a floating island made entirely of reeds.  Of course, we said, “Sure.”

The family we visited, it turns out, was the family of our guide. They had lived on a floating island on the lake since before he and his brother were born. As part of the Uros community, their ancestral traditions and lifestyle had been passed down for years.

He told us that he and his brother had to row a boat two hours each day to go to school. That helped me put navigating around Los Angeles into a different perspective. (I used to complain about a thirty-minute walk to school.)

They say that travel is broadening, and I don’t think they’re talking about food (although indulgently dining while away from home can certainly broaden your waistline).  But seeing how other people live, can open your eyes to a variety of new ways of living that are quite different from your own. Especially when experiencing how some people live outside of the United States. Some of these experiences seem quite wonderful, like living on a floating island. But travel also exposes you to hardships and challenges which can make me quite grateful for my own good fortune.

But there are many resourceful ideas – like building an island out of reeds. Years ago, I thought a person could make a living just by importing good ideas and unusual products from one country to another. I expect, some people do. In fact, entire brands have been built on that premise, most notably Pier 1 and World Market.

Talking about travel and seeing the world… Daveen and I like to explore by taking a cruise. You only have to unpack once, and the scenery comes to you. Next year we plan to take a cruise on the Danube River — both ways.

But for now, I’m happy to be at home, which is always my favorite place to come back to. I’m writing this on my cellphone, which is a lot easier to use than my laptop, especially when I’m lying on my bed, relaxing.

My adventure on this beautiful October day?

I’m going to take a walk around the block. See you next week.

Alan

Last Sunday I enjoyed the rare treat of attending the 85th birthday party of a dear friend I’ve known for more than sixty years. There were about three hundred guests, and, by total chance, I sat next to Burt, a man I had met in high school debate, many years ago.

We had much to reminisce about. It isn’t often I see friends, or even acquaintances, from my youth. (Although I am now in touch with Mike, my high school debate partner, and plan to visit him soon.)

As an eighty-five-year-old, I’m certainly interested in longevity.  My doctor says that genetics are important, which bodes well for me. My grandfather lived to be 94, and my father survived to 104. I’ve also made many life-style changes to improve my health, and my weight is more than sixty pounds below its high point of 268 about six years ago.

I have a note on my calendar to attend the high school graduation of my four-year-old granddaughter Delilah. That will be in the year 2040 and I will be 100. (As an aside – never ask Siri how long you might survive. Yesterday I posed the question, and the answer was a discouraging 5.1 years, so I don’t think I’ll ask again anytime soon.)

Since the length of anyone’s lifetime is unknown until the end, part of the fun is enjoying each day. My dad said that he didn’t count the years, he focused on the days.

So happy Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day!

I’m going to take the rest of today off.

Alan

A Junior College basketball coach took his car in for service.   He noticed a mechanic working under another car, his head on one side, his feet protruding out the other.

“Hmmm …” the coach mused.  “This guy is tall.  I need him as a center on my JC basketball team.”

After the mechanic had played center for two years on his basketball team, the JC coach called John Wooden, famed coach of the UCLA basketball dynasty.

“Hey, John, I’ve got a center for you.”

“A center?” Wooden replied.

“Heck, I don’t need a center. I have Bill Walton coming in as a freshman in the Fall.”

“So, I’ve heard,” said the JC coach. “And who is he going to practice against?”

There was a pause.

“Good thought. I’ll take a look at him.”

And so, Darrall Imhoff went from auto mechanic to gold medalist on an Olympic basketball team to NBA all-star, all thanks to the creative thinking of a junior college basketball coach.

Who you meet in life, and the path you follow, is largely random. More than sixty years ago I did something uncharacteristic. I signed up to judge the oratory finals at the California high school speech tournament. I also contacted the winner and sent him airfare so he could attend the National finals in Washington, DC.

Because I judged at that tournament I met Jim Williams, who remains to this day one of my best friends, and through Jim I met Daveen almost fifty years ago.

All I know for sure is that my life would be quite different if I had never judged that speech tournament and met Jim.

How about you?  I’m betting that many, if not most, of your long-term relationships were serendipitous, simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

It’s not so much what happens to you in life. It’s what you make of the opportunities life inevitably sends your way.

Good luck to all!!!

Alan