STOP THE WORLD....!

 

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!!

          Are any of you feeling this way?  I certainly am.  There have been songs, plays, and films based on that phrase. 

      Although I never saw the movie, I share the sentiment. Twenty-Twenty was full of many negative happenings.  This New Year did not start much better, based on the continued impact of the Coronavirus, and the beguiling things happening in the political world.

 

     Wikipedia offers the following information giving details of the picture. 

    The show, set against a circus backdrop, focuses on Littlechap from the moment of his birth until his death. Each time something unsatisfactory happens, he calls out 'Stop the world!' and addresses the audience. After being born, going through school, and finding work as a tea-boy, his first major step towards improving his lot is to marry his boss' daughter. Saddled with the responsibilities of a family, he is given a job in his father-in-law's factory.

Discontented Woman

Grumpy Kids

He has two daughters but truly longs for a son. He allows his growing dissatisfaction with his existence to lead him into the arms of various women —as he searches for something better than he has.  

He becomes rich and successful.  Only in his old age does he realize that what he always had, the love of his wife, was more than enough to sustain him.

But Evie dies, and Littlechap comes to terms with his selfishness while writing his memoirs. At the moment of his death, he watches his second daughter give birth to a son. When the boy nearly dies, Littlechap intervenes and allows Death to take him instead. He then mimes his own birth, beginning the cycle once again.

After the Storm

   At times, I want to escape—avoid routine and       responsibility, get away from the daily news, delay     paying debts, and hide from the chaos that seems to     chase me.

    I am fortunate because I have an oasis. While I have others which are closer, my very favorite is Bermuda. I sailed there on four cruises and reveled in being there every time.  Located, in the Atlantic, a few hundred miles east of South Carolina, this island nation covers only 21 square miles. Most ships I sailed on to other destinations, usually spent only a few hours in port, but in Bermuda, the itinerary allotted almost 2 days to enjoy the variety of experiences  available.

          I am not one who delights in  lying on the beach, or dipping in the ocean. Yet, I have never tired of traveling there. I do not get saturated by the moods and colors of the water. The coastline has a multitude of rocks and jetties, even caves to explore. They spark my imagination and creativity, capturing their diversity and personality on my SD card.

      ⛴     ⛵

Sparrow by Tobacco Bay

Dockside Mall

                         

                            👓💎👒

Sea Glass Beach

                  

      Bermuda is a place where I find tranquility, warmth, and refreshment. While I do not often have opportunity to vacation,  thanks to my many photos, I can re-experience being there, over and over. I can’t wait to visit her shores again!

In the Creation story recorded in Genesis, it says that on the seventh day, God rested.  In the gospels, it reported that Jesus had times when he, “used to slip away to remote places to pray.” Luke 5:15.  Furthermore, he spoke to his disciples telling them   Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27.

If the Lord recommended rest and bothered to model that for us, it must be important.

I do not wish to be like Littlechap, never content, constantly striving. Rather, I appreciate the goodness of life itself. I learned to find my peace in the oasis in my soul, to which I can retreat no matter my circumstance.

  So, where is your place of renewal, your haven? Take photos of those places so that you can remind yourself that there really is such a place. Review the pictures you may already have and remember better days and times.  I trust there will be more of them to come.