Cabana Living

During winter in Wisconsin quite a bit of thought goes into vacation sites where one can escape the endless cold and snow. Mexico is a popular destination spot because of its consistant sunshine and warm temperature. I have been to Cancun twice and Playa del Carmen once and loved both places. Florida in the winter is okay, California in the winter is better than Florida, but none of these aforementioned places are exactly what I am looking for. And visiting Wisconsin and residing elsewhere would be the ideal.

What I want is a cabana on the beach of a small, exotic, friendly Caribbean island. The cabana will have all the luxuries of indoor plumbing, luxurious bed, and comfortable furniture. Sunlight will fill the small abode, fresh flowers will always be present. A hammock will hang outside, an umbrella and lawn chair will be ever ready, and a boogy board will be available. Fragrant, colorful flowers will abound, as will palm trees, and a warm breeze will keep the temperature perfect at 80 degrees.

A cabana boy will fish for the evening entree, bring cool drinks while I'm in the hammock or lawn chair, and rake the sand in front of the cabana each evening. A housekeeper will cook and clean. Once a week a massuese will come to my beach home and not only perform a 90 minute massage but also give me facials, foot massages, exfoliations or whatever other relaxtion service deemed appropriate for that week.

Long walks on the beach, swims with the boogy board, and strolls through the market would be daily outings. Relaxing in the hammock with a good book and sitting in the lawn chair writing or catching up on email would also be part of the routine. Depending on the need, volunteering in the town would be an option.

Pets are important to me, and, of course, Watson's presence is a must. 80 degrees will be okay for him, and I'm sure all the smells from the ocean will fascinate him. I'm not sure how much he will like the water but maybe it would be something he would learn to like. I believe having a kitten/cat on a Caribbean island is a must. This goes back to memories of kittens that lived by our apartment when my parents took us to Florida for a few weeks on summer. The kitten could roam the outdoors but still want to spend time in a lap or hammock. A friendly parrot could complete the picture.

There are those who talk about hurricanes, insects, and crime in Caribbean locales, but only dreaming, idealism, and little reality is allowed in this paradise. Its difficult to think of negatives when the sky is blue, the sun is shining and the temperatures are warm. I prefer to concentrate on the fun, the relaxation, and the fantasy of this life.

Catatonic

I wonder what it is like to be in a catatonic state. Do people hear the conversations going on around them but able to distance themselves from reacting? Do they tune out everything so as not to hear or see their surroundings and the people in them?

There are two types of catatonia: the one I’ve described above which is loss of muscle movement and lack of response to external stimuli; the other is catatonic excitement marked by hyperactivity and possibly violence to oneself or others. Wikipeidia reports that a person can die of exhaustion if not treated.

Not that one has a choice but if I had to choose to be catatonic I would choose to be the unresponsive catatonic. Talk about a form of escapism. To mentally remove oneself from a situation and not have to interact with people…..yes, there are always drawbacks but just for awhile it might be refreshing to mentally remove oneself from the scenario at hand. I think I do that when I drift off in a conversation but even then I end up smiling, nodding, or murmuring something to show I am listening even though I am not.

Right now I’m feeling the urge to just sit here and let the world pass me by for at least the next few hours. Sit here and listen to others but not respond and not be expected to respond. Sounds like the ideal escapism for today.