Journal of a Living Lady #206

 

Nancy White Kelly

 

If you are older than fifty, you probably have heard the old saying, “Penny-wise and pound foolish.” Such is the story of our lives.

 

Many months ago Buddy purchased a plane ticket to Memphis to attend his nephew’s wedding in Mississippi. I couldn’t go because of chemotherapy and a previous commitment.

 

Through the Internet I got a bargain round-trip ticket for Buddy for about $175. He could hardly drive it for that. Because it is such a hassle getting to and from the Atlanta airport from the North Georgia mountains, Buddy later decided he would drive. Buddy can still drive decently, but we all get concerned about his making long trips especially by himself. Our daughter-in-law, Tori, volunteered to chauffeur him.

 

Buddy and Tori had a great time, stopping in Tuscumbia to visit the home place of Helen Keller. Tori gathered enough information to teach a history unit on this remarkable woman who overcame all but impossible handicaps to become an inspiration to humanity.

 

But, back to the original airplane ticket. The airline would not allow a refund. We could, however, book another ticket for Buddy to anywhere else the airline flew. We had to pay any difference in price since the original ticket was so discounted.  Not being a loner, Buddy wasn’t interested in flying by himself. Not being a looney, I wasn’t interested in losing $175.

 

I love New York City and have longed to go back there. Actually a ticket to New York was cheap, though still more than the trip to Memphis. I booked both Buddy and me for a Big Apple trip in September. When we shared our news with Tori, she was ecstatic.

 

“I have always wanted to go to New York,” she announced unashamedly. All Tori has to do is bat those big beautiful eyes and Buddy would take her on a trip to Mars even if he had to hock the house. We immediately booked Tori a ticket to New York. Tori is from South Georgia and has never been north of the Mason-Dixon Line. We felt this was a nice in-law gesture, especially since she so willingly took Charlie off our hands last year. However, when son Charlie heard about the trip, he wasn’t about to be left behind. So, Charlie’s once frugal mom purchased another round-trip ticket to New York, except this time the tickets weren’t so cheap.

 

As you read this, Buddy, Charlie, Tori and I should be on the airplane headed toward New York City. That original $175 has turned into a $1,000 plus adventure and we haven’t even touched ground. We only have a couple of days because both Charlie and Tori teach school and they have to be back on Sunday for church responsibilities. Charlie was recently hired as the bi-vocational Children’s Minister assisted by Tori. Since they both are also working on Masters Degrees, time away is extremely limited.

 

We have tickets to ABC’s Good Morning America. Hopefully on Friday we will take a quick, grand tour of New York. One place we all want to visit is Ground Zero to pay our respects. Then Saturday we head home.

 

Pound-foolish? Maybe, but life is short. We just have to make the best of it.

nancyk@alltel.net