Souvenirs from my trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It’s always rocks and sometimes shells for me. I label each with the trip destination and date. Some friends laugh and think it’s a silly thing to do. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While they’re out fighting tourist crowds scouring souvenir shops for tchotchkes, I’m taking a meditative walk on a beach. The waves crashing the shore and the salty air enhancing the serenity of my search. The process is the part that matters, not the rock or shell themselves.
Sooner or later the souvenir tshirt of those that snicker at my rocks and shells won’t fit anymore. That precious more-than-likely-made-in-China shot glass will be forgotten in the back of a cabinet. And I’ll still have my rocks and shells. Gifts of the earth offered to help keep me humble and deepen my reverence for my place in things.
You can’t get that from a tshirt or shot glass.
There's a difference between a successful life and a satisfied one. A satisfied one is better. Success is measured by others. Satisfaction is measured by our own soul, mind, and heart.
