Absence makes the heart grow stronger

Last night I was looking at pictures I took during my February visit to my family in South Wales.

Even though they had not seen me for a year, my parents didn't want to do anything or visit anywhere. So I went out for day trips on my own. For those who know my parents, that it not unusual. They are stuck in their routine and becoming more elderly, makes them even more stuck in that routine. In their eyes, why go to the Gower as it is windy down there !

On one day, I took a trip to Neath Abbey -see picture- which is about 1 mile from my parents house. Here was something that I would pass everyday on my way to school and a key part of local history. As boys, we would also go finishing in the Neath canal adjacent to it. We'd get creeped out as darkness approached as we'd wanted to be anyway from. Afterall, we'd all 'heard' about it was haunted by 'the mad monk'.

However, I had not actually visited the Abbey ruin itself until well into my late 20's and when I was living in Germany. It if funny how you can have these tourist attractions in your area where you grow up but not visit them. The saying that they way to appreciate places is to leave them. I guess that has some truth to it.

Weeks later I was in London and driving past one of the museums that had a line of tourists outside. I asked the taxi driver if he had even been there and the answer 'No, I have lived here 45 years and never been. Neither have my kids. I've never thought about it. I should go someday'.

I guess it takes effort to break your routine to do these things. You say to yourself that they'll always be there but that isn't always the case.

In february 2008, a fire destroyed the 600-year-old southern gate to what was once the walled city of Seoul. This was a landmark that survived foreign invasions and wars to be designated South Korea’s top national treasure and shocked the nation. A 69-year-old man suspected of setting the fire was arrested.

Back in Houston, I think of all the places I've wanted to but not actually taken the effort to. I've never been the Fine arts Museum or Contemporary Arts Museum even though I've lived literally around the block. It was always someday.

So I plan to go to Fine arts to see the Pompeii exhibition, Contemporary arts which has a strange floral mural outside and the Natural history museum to see "Lucy". But when ? Next week...perhaps.

Phileas Fogg.
Houston, Texas
22nd March 2008