But Why Is The Rum Gone?

 

In Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan get marooned on an island that Jack had stayed on and had been rescued from by rum smugglers. Only now they were not using the island and they were likely to never be rescued. At least that is what Jack had decided. However, Elizabeth had other plans she knew that entire royal navy was going to be looking for her. So, she played Jack and let him get drunk on the rum he had found stored away. Then when he fell asleep, she got to work making a smoke signal so she could be rescued. When Jack wakes up the only thing he is concerned with is that fact that all of the rum is gone. He has focused on the moment and not the bigger picture.

I most closely identify with Elizabeth because she took charge of her situation and made a plan. I really like plans and organization. Running around without an endgame is really just stressful. But, I am learning that Jack’s way of life has its charms. The fly by the seat of your pants and just hope everything works out can lead to you having some fantastic adventures and memories.

Now, I don’t think I am going to completely stop making plans anytime soon, but I think having largely unplanned vacation time is my compromise. This way I get a pause from the rigor of plans and structure that gives me a boost and puts my circumstance into perspective.

So, for the past 5 days, I did just that. I unplugged and didn’t have my head wrapped around work and everything that had to be done. I lived moment for moment.

Each day I had maybe one thing that was an absolute I had to do. However, after that, if I didn’t get to something on the list it was just fine because I either rested or replaced that activity with something else. I was on vacation. Finally. I decided to go with the flow, for once in my life and not run around like I needed to keep the world spinning. And it was glorious.

I went to concerts, I went to bars with live music, ate amazing food, went swimming, went shopping, visited the capitol building, hung out with friends and even saw a friend from my hometown that I hadn’t seen in over five years.

Then it hit me. I could do a lot of these things in Abilene, where I currently live. Sure the choices are much more limited and the things move slower, but the opportunity is still there.

I will just have to open my eyes to the opportunity that is Abilene. The community is kind and generous and has a younger generation that is slowly changing the landscape to create a thriving downtown entertainment mecca that is distinctively Abilene.

The rum’s not gone. I just have to find it elsewhere.