REFLECTIONS:
Best Vacation?
by Teresita Bacani-Oropilla, MD
When one is past one’ s middle nineties and is asked what the best vacation one has ever had, one shuffles through memories and is surprised at the outcome.
In the middle of an active medical practice in my mid-50s, I was called by previous classmate friends to join a Rotary-funded medical mission to Thailand( formerly called Siam) and the Philippines. Hastily arranging for a leave of absence from work, off I flew to the other side of the world!
Bangkok was an eastern surprise with its beautiful golden pagodas, huge Buddhist statues in enchanting temples. Monks walked in the streets being given food in their bowls by the people. Business could be conducted in small, colorful boats in the canals that seemed to pop up nearby.
We, the visiting staff, were housed in hospital rooms and fed Oriental cuisine. That, in itself, was a pleasant gustatory education! We moved from town to town, about five of them, whose patients had been prepared for our visit. Our job was to restore sight to the blind by operating on their eyes and prepare them for aftercare.
The joy and wonder of“ Now I can see!” was heartfelt and practical. A girl could now go back to school and read the lessons. A father could go back to work peddling rides on his motorbike-cart. Many grandparents could finally see their grandchildren! Think of the patients released from darkness to the brightness of this world!
People thought it was work! It was just the grandest vacation I can remember!
Vacations are slips of time that propel us from the ordinary. To a child, a trip to Disneyland opens their eyes to wonders they never expected. Saying“ Hi!” to Mickey or Minnie?! To a teenager going to a beach with friends opens their eyes to reality. To adults, seeing the wonders of different cultures and history they read about is fulfillment. And to others, happiness is the gathering of family members, young and old! For others still- it’ s just the peace and quiet of contemplating nature as it once was, to fulfill the urge of one’ s best vacation.
What is yours? Dr. Bacani-Oropilla is a retired pediatrician and psychiatrist.
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