Opinion
No better traveling companion
EDMOND — I heard a guy on NPR a few weeks ago say that we should “buy experiences, not stuff.” That set me to thinking; I really should invest more in living life and less in acquiring possessions.
I have a passion for travel, which I think fits nicely into my new investment portfolio. Whether it’s a short drive to Dallas for a weekend of Texas Rangers baseball or a long flight to Beijing to hike the Great Wall, I love to go, see and do.
Is there any better way to buy experiences than to travel?
Kicking this new investment strategy around in my mind, I’ve concluded it’s not the destinations that have returned the greatest dividends. In the past decade, I’ve learned that the person along for the ride is much more important than the sights we’re seeing.
I married my travel partner 10 years ago today, and the vast majority of that time we’ve enjoyed calm seas and smooth sailing. Like most marriages, we’ve had a few minor disagreements, but I figure if we can survive a couple of weeks together in a foreign country where we don’t speak the language, can’t stomach the food and spend most of our visit worn out and hopelessly lost, we can get through anything.
She must agree, because more than 30 countries and almost one dozen U.S. states later, she hasn’t yet made me hitchhike home. It must be love.
I could write pages singing my wife’s praises, but suffice it to say that she makes every little part of my world better. Whether on a Balkan beach in sun-soaked Croatia or at a backyard barbecue in sun-baked Oklahoma, it’s always paradise hanging out with her.
No matter where we are, time together is the greatest investment of all.
A closing note to all my macho buddies — before you start calling and e-mailing with your too-tough-to-talk-about-your-feelings ridicule, let me proudly proclaim, here and now, that I’m smitten, head over heels, hopelessly fallen for my Texas transplant with the long legs and beautiful eyes. Yes fellas, I love my gal.
Happy anniversary Amber, I’d follow you anywhere.
CHARLIE PRICE is a freelance writer in Edmond.
- Opinion
-
-
No democracy for U.S.
Every time we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, we affirm the fact that America is a republic, not a democracy. However, many Americans incorrectly believe the United States is a democracy. We will try to set the record straight on this issue.
-
A stimulus plan even Republicans shouldn’t refuse
While the economy might be the No. 1 issue to voters, our political leaders have so far been unable to agree on many proposals to revive our economy. Democratic efforts for a larger economic stimulus package have been thwarted repeatedly by steadfast Republican opposition. However, it appears that Democrats might be on the verge of offering solutions that even Republicans could like.
-
A media-twisted idea of normalcy
Last week’s most telling news story had nothing to do with the mosque. Or the election struggles of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Or the president’s vacation at the Vineyard.
No, the one story that reveals more than any other about what is going on in America concerns the Miss Universe contest. -
Education reform must be a priority
This fall brings another school year. However, the next years are critical for Oklahoma‘s economy and much rides on improving public education. Budget cuts made this year will have a lasting effect. The issue is what actions can be taken to improve our educational system. It doesn’t just rest on reforms in education alone. We need a complete re-thinking of government and realignment of priorities.
-
It’s time for Congress to pay up
Thank God there are still a few common-sense public servants in the U.S. government. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates is one of them.
-
Hatred blinds, distorts values
Sunday night the United States opened its arms to two young men from Uganda. I was at the airport when Richard Kirabira arrived to join his friend Charles Mugabi who arrived last week.
Both of them have received scholarships to East Central University in Ada, and they regard this opportunity as a priceless blessing to themselves, their families and ultimately, to their country. -
Business leaders: Obama agenda bad for economy
Distressing new economic headlines just keep coming. Unemployment claims reached a nine-month high in early August. Existing home sales tumbled by 27 percent from June to July, representing the largest one-month drop ever recorded. Sales of new homes reached the lowest levels recorded since 1963. The stock market is down 11 percent, and new GDP numbers are dismal.
-
Roofer registration protects homeowners
Consumers will reap rewards from state homebuilders’ legislative efforts to tighten contractor registration requirements.
The first involves roofer registration legislation, where roofers will register with the state’s Construction Industries Board. Roofers will provide a small fee, verify their insurance and will then be required to display their registration number on all of their trucks and signs. -
Mangum explores tourism, historical roots
Nobel Prize-winning author Nadine Gordimer has written about her youth in South Africa in an essay titled “A South African Childhood” that was included in a collection of her essays recently published under the title “Telling Times.” Gordimer grew up in the 1930s in a small town in the Transvaal region of that nation, and she wrote about how she was reminded of the farming communities she visited as a child when she saw the production of the play “Oklahoma” in Johannesburg in the 1950s.
-
Unconstitutional tax increases bear watching
You may recall two updates that I wrote shortly after the conclusion of this year’s legislative session. I explained my opposition to fee and tax increases and talked about how the increases would hurt Oklahoma’s economy by punishing and disincentivizing Oklahoma small business owners.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
No democracy for U.S.
