The Question: Have you ever wanted far away to come close?

To answer that question: "Yes, every day of my life!"

I asked a friend a similar question:

"Which is a worse disease? Knowing there is a huge, interesting, varied and beautiful world out there, yet not having the means ($, time, etc) to get there, or not knowing or caring that it exists at all?"

My friend answered me, "Yours is a worse suffering. Even though their lives are bland, mere existences, sometimes, 'Ignorance is bliss!', after all !"

My view, position or stance on that subject varies from day-to-day.

On some days, I believe my life is better for having the gift of Clarity: knowing the difference, and enjoying the widely diverse St. Louis community. As one example, we have Vietnamese, Chinese, German, Italian, Asian Indian, genuine Mexican, Irish, Pakistani, Afghan and Ethiopian restaurants, and multiples of each - just to name a few.

Interior of one of my favorite Indian restaurants
in St. Louis:
India's Rasoi in the Central West End

We also have the #1 and #2 Art shows in the entire nation, but also the oldest Botanical Garden, with one of the rarest plant species in the world (The Dracaena umbraculifera - the Umbrella Dracaena). The Gardens has one of only 16 specimens known to survive in the world, and they are all in Botanical Gardens, and this plant is extinct in the wild.)

The Umbrella Dracaena in the Climatron at the
Missouri Botanical Gardens

Even though I have these - and many more - wonderful things just outside my front door that I can experience and enjoy, I miss the REST of the world that I can't get my hands, ears, eyes, nose and my mouth! on.

So... the question remains:

Which is worse? Living a bland, unfulfilled life, and not knowing or caring about the difference, or living a very fulfilled life, wanting more, but not being able to physically get your body to those fantastic places?

The Eiffel Tower, as viewed from Google Map's Street View
(You can get a much closer look, directly at the base of the tower, itself.  I had to virtually move back a bit to get a general view of the tower.):




I often go on 'virtual vacations.' I use Google Maps (placing the little man on the street-level view). Just last night, I 'went' to The southern most tip of The Florida Keys (Key West, FL), and I toured down Highway 1A, along the oceanside. I have also 'been' to Egypt, I have been to Barcelona, Spain, etc. When I shut my computer down for the night, I was even more homesick for places that I have never been!


Sea-side view from South Roosevelt Blvd, Key West, FL:





- Michael