Looking at things differently

I am drinking my coffee this morning from a $6,000 coffee mug. Of all my collections, my coffee mugs are the most costly. My mugs are almost all black or dark blue. They all have writing on them. I have quite a good collection. My most expensive one, $27,000, broke a few years back. It was sad to have to pick up the pieces. There were too many shards to glue back together.

Now you have probably guessed, or maybe not, that I did not actually pay $6000 for a mug. I, did however, pay that amount for a vacation my mom and I took together after my dad passed away. It was my only souvenir. A coffee mug from Baby's Coffee at the 15 mile marker in Key West. Although I do not think Baby's Coffee is actually in Key West since Key West is only 5 miles wide and 3 miles long. but that is where the shop is located.

My mom, a good Baptist, had feared going to Key West because she had heard all about the raunchiness of the place. Why it was a favorite spot for gay people not to mention the nudists and party-goers. Not the place for a good Baptist. But it was our Birthday. I was born on her 25th birthday, November 13. Needless to say, I knew the way to manipulate my mom. What child does not acquire this skill? Well, for my mom you must be blunt and transfer a little of guilt and jealousy. I told her I was going there on my birthday and spend 1/2 of it in spa and the othe 1/2 in a bed and breakfast. Now I knew she always wanted to stay in a B&B and secretly desired to go to a spa. I also told her bluntly that if she hesitated or showed me any trepidations that I would take my best friend instead. That was it. Jealousy goes a long way.

To make this long story short. We went. She had a wonderful time. We never saw any of the "horrible" people she feared, although she almost drug me into a gay bar. Of course, she did not know and I had to point it out that "Mom, there are only men inside and they are, well, sitting mighty close to one another." Her eyes grew wide but she did not turn her head. She stared for a full minute watching them. lol I get my curiosity from her! The Bed & Breakfast was located next to a nudist resort. Every night we would walk past it and she would stand on her tiptoes trying to get a peak at the folks on the other side! We spent three days getting spa treatments - massages, facials, exfoliating washes, manicures, pedicures, the works. Yes my mom had to get naked for the exfoliating body wash. Needless to say she did not like that part. lol And we stayed out late and became party-goers ourselves. I made her agree that we would not head back to the room until after one hour after dinner. I did not tell her dinner would be at 9:00! Key West only comes alive at 9:00 and that is just for dinner. The real action is after that. The nudist go to a bar that is on the rooftop so sorry no views for us folks down below! My mom always looked up when we walked by the place. She drank some and listened to music but mainly we spent the entire time walking, shopping, sightseeing and enjoying each other's company. She had a grand time and speaks fondly of it to this day. I always think of that vacation as I sip from my Baby's Coffee Mug. Yes, it may have cost me $6000 but it was money well spent. [you must be glad this is the short version!]

My other mugs represent other vacations, but I have several that were the result of my sons lives. The 27,000 one is the one my son gave me upon graduating college. My oldest son. He graduated from James Madison and was the first in my family to do so. Heck, neither my mom nor my dad finished high school but those days were different. My brother went to college, University of Maryland, but did not finish. I had to forgo college so my brother could go. Not enough dough for us both. I did well in my career just the same and have no complaints, although English Lit and Grammar would have proved useful now. My oldest, Ed [or my Blake], gave me the coffee mug from his first real job after graduation. I figured it was the cost of college tuition!

My other son, the one I stole some characteristics from for Rawlings, refused to go. In fact he took 5 years to finish high school. He never went to school. He would walk out as soon as I dropped him off and drove away. He preferred to stay home and read books and play on the computer. He has a wicked sense of humor and can turn any statement into a witticism. Well the coffee mugs from him come from a Microsoft training school where he received his certification and took a job, well paying, networking computers for companies. He ended up with a company that had a state department contract and he traveled all over the world- 76 countries in 6 years. So much for telling you kids they must go to school! lol He is really brilliant and was bored. Structured school systems do not work for everyone and I had to learn that the hard way. He would have excelled in a home school environment. Needless to say I drink from his coffee cups he was given when he finished his training program. I have two and so I have valued them at $5000 each. Now he has learned the value of a college degree and has been attending college full time on his dime. He lives in my VA home and soon I hope he will finish and I will sell the place. And take all the remaining coffee mugs with me.

so I do look at everything differently. I drink not from $2 mugs but from ceramic containers of love and memories and satisfaction. Priceless. I try to write differently too. I guess it is just my nature: curiosity and thinking differently.

gayle