Hot Air Balloon Ride

When I was first asked to join the balloon ride, my first reaction was to turn it down on the basis that I thought I was afraid of the height.  Upon second thought, I decided to say yes first and find out how, exactly, I was, or was not, afraid of height.

It turned out I was not at all.

One thing that made me think was when I saw the crew working so hard to set up the balloon that big drops of sweat drenched their tank tops and T-shirts and made their faces shining.  And yet when they talked to each other and to us, you could see big smiles too.  It struck me that unless they truly enjoyed what they were doing, this amount of hard labor would make anyone grumpy and complaining.  The weather was hot, dry and people stood around to watch you work, and they waited for you to set up the balloon so they can fly.  I remembered the days when I would be cooking in the kitchen with hungry kids looking on, or when anticipating, chatty guests were gathering for dinner to start.  If there was even a sense of being forced, or demanded to do what I was doing, I remember feeling resentful, and certainly unhappy.  But if it was out of my own volition, it didn't matter then, how many people were waiting and how they were not helping, I would be in a good enough mood to be pleasant.

It is so important to enjoy what you do, especially if this is something you have to do day in and day out.  A job is one of these things.

La Jolla is such a beautiful place!! I can't believe I haven't visited it in the past twenty some years while living in Southern California.  

We visited a candy/ice cream store that absolutely delighted me.  I told them I felt like a kid again, except this time I was a kid with money and I could buy whatever I wanted! Well, I ended up with ONLY a small cup of ice cream.  I guess I was not a kid after all!  There were more than, according to the store owner, four thousand different kinds of sweets, plus cards and toys and interesting things.  I didn't care if it was before lunch time, pleasure principle got the better of me and for about ten minutes while we were in the store, I felt young.

So... lessons of the day:  I am not afraid of height.  Friends are important.  Ice cream is really good, still good, will always be good.  Blessed are those who enjoy their jobs.  Indulgence in a candy store for an adult does more good than harm.  

I was so busy in the candy store; my senses were too busy taking in the surroundings, I forgot to take a picture of myself!