The Day Finds its Own Rhythm

1/9/26

I find it interesting as we chat with passengers who are only on the Panama Canal segment of the cruise; they simply can’t fathom being on the ship for 131 days.  “Oh, I could never do that” I hear frequently.  Never, really?  I struggle with that reaction.  Here’s a thought to ponder.  Many people I’ve worked with in the past thought they were irreplaceable….then, during a restructure, they were replaced in a week or even worse, their job was eliminated.  Let that sink in.  (I probably shouldn’t use the word sink on a cruise).  At the risk of being morbid, I think we apply the same concept to dying; believing we will leave an unfillable void in the lives of our community and loved ones…..but it’s temporary.  They move on……they don’t really have a choice.  

The candid truth is, many people equate their value to their indespensibilty.  Their life (aka, routines, obligations, relationships etc) is too dependent on them being present for it.  That’s a wildly bold statement, and even a bit counter-intuitive, but worth pondering.  After all, why wouldn’t you want to be ever present for the life you’ve built.  That’s how 99% of people likely feel.

But thinking of from a completely different angle, being irreplaceable at work or in life can also be confining and stagnating.  At work, if you can’t be replaced, you also can’t be promoted.  In life, once retired, with grown children, if you can’t take an extended break from the routine, then it begs the question whether you control your obligations or they control you.   When you take a cruise like this, it causes you to become very introspective on what you control vs what controls you.  And how indispensable you really are or aren’t.  Which aspects of life will keep us tied down and which will give us the freedom to explore new opportunities.  We all have the same 525,600 minutes in a year.  In the end, a minute spent doing one thing is a minute not spent doing something else.  The goal is to make each minute count.

The day started out as most others so far, with an hour in the fitness center, slowly creeping up the time I get there.  The earlier, the better.  Breakfast was just fruit, which was light and refreshing.

I retreated to the Lotus Pool to finish yesterday’s blog, which presented some issues.  I love blogging, but at times, it feels a bit like an obligation and that was true this morning.  My phone pics don’t update to the cloud or my laptop as quickly as I’d like, so I write the blog on my laptop in Word, cut and paste it to Wix, then add the pics from my phone app.  Once the pics are easily accessible from my laptop, I’ll insert them in the Word version so they’re in sync.  The Word version will be turned into an e-book eventually.  I did that with my 2023 blog and it’s my first published work. 

We went to lunch at the casual dining outlet in the Crown Grill.  At lunch on some sea days, it becomes the Salty Dog Café.  I really enjoyed it.  The appetizer was a crispy poached egg with mushrooms, and the main dish was a medium rare burger topped with so many items I honestly don’t remember but it was delicious.  I could only eat half.  While we were in line, we ran into Greg and Ginny, a couple we met on WC23.  They’re awesome.  We opted for a table of 4 with them.  Such a fun couple.  It was a spirited lunch on a hundred topics.  We started to chat about our afternoon plans, which were still open for both couples so we agreed to play cards.  They taught us a new game that was quite fun.

The afternoon flew by and before we knew it, it was 4pm and time to chill before dinner, so we went back to our stateroom.   Dinner was salmon on a citrus and kale salad, which I concocted out of 2 separate entrees.  The best part was being seated with a Canadian couple we met at the Universe Lounge the previous evening.  I didn’t immediately recognize them but quickly made the connection and we resumed the somewhat raunchy conversation we had started the evening before.  My kind of people.  We also discussed some politics, which is so interesting to hear what non-Americans think of our country, president, healthcare, economy and so on.  Suffice it to say, it’s consistently better and more positive than our news sources would indicate.

The show was a country singer, Johnny Cash type guy.  It was pleasant.  But I think the highlight of the evening was trying a new drink called the Hot Pants.  Princess has joined forces with Matthew McConaughey and Pantalones tequila (Pants in Spanish) to create unique drinks, and I kid you not, it’s the best drink I’ve ever had.  Imagine Pineapple, tequila, crushed jalapeños (seeds and all), with a spicy salt on the rim.  Henry, my new favorite bartender, added 3 blue cheese olives to the drink which put it over the top, literally and figuratively.  The sweetness of the pineapple mixed with the spicy jalapeños, complimented the savory blue cheese and the brine of the olives.  After I finished it, I ran to the room, wrote him a Thank You (yes, I always bring Thank You cards) and gave him a generous tip.  Henry and I will be best friends by the time the cruise is over.

To wind down, I spent some time in Crooners Bar listening to a pianist and then spent some time in the casino.  I haven’t gambled yet as all the minimums are too high for my pocketbook.  But I’m sure I’ll partake at some point, just not as often as I might otherwise. 

And there you have it, another 1,440 minutes spent thoroughly enjoying each one.