World Of Tourism

Nostalgia for the Family Holiday Vacation

by Alan A. Lew, Department of Geography, Planning and Recreation, Northern Arizona University, USA

A Literature Review of:

Are We There Yet? The Golden Age of American Family Vacations by Susan Sessions Rugh (University of Kansas Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7006-1588-9)
- and -
Theme Park by Scott A. Lukas (Reaktion Books, 2008, ISBN 978-1-86189-394-9)

To spread a loved ones ashes is a symbolic release and an acceptance of a situation that no matter how painful, will never change. My father passed away suddenly almost ten years ago. It was the most painful experience I have ever had to go through, when you lose someone who is such a profound part of your life, the transition from here to gone can be lengthy and heart wrenching.

It was a beautifully sunny day, as if the gods were smiling, as my mother and brother and I walked along a stretch of beach that had been a place of many good memories and a particular favorite of my fathers. I didn't realize it at the time but I was told later that I was clinging to the box that held his ashes as tightly as a small child. My brother was young and was crying as we walked and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. We found a spot on the rocks to let his ashes go. As my brother and I poured his ashes into the ocean, it was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt free, I had been holding onto that pain for so long and I know in my heart that he would never have wanted that.

We all cried and watched the waves silently together, no words were needed. I'm a spiritual person and I believe to this day, that he was there and I'm almost certain he was smiling. We went and had a lunch at a hotel not far from the beach, another place we had frequented when we were all together. It was fitting. We cried, laughed, talked till we were all emotionally spent. We took a trip down memory lane and came back better than we had ever been.

I felt the need to share my experience with you because there are so many people out there holding onto the past, let it go, you'll be better for it. You're not forgetting, you're allowing the only constant in life to continue and that's change.

I've always been told that family is the most important thing in this world. I agree with that sentiment and there is nothing I wouldn't do for my family, or is that true? Think about that for a second. Would you be willing to do ANYTHING to protect or help a family member? I'm sure many of you are thinking "it depends on who", fair enough, let's say it was your mother. Would you do anything then? I think it's easy for people to agree and say that they would do whatever it takes for their mother but would we have the guts to back that up if a situation arose?

The reason I bring this up is because a woman in Spain, Evelyn Duenos, is auctioning her virginity to the highest bidder to help her mother who has Alzheimer's. She cant afford the medical bills, so the only option she sees now is to auction something that I can only imagine is very dear to her. Speaking from a woman's perspective, I can't for a second imagine how horrifying it must be to have sex with a man you don't know, who has essentially bought you and to top it all off, it's your very first time.

The winning bidder must provide a medical certificate showing he is clear of sexually transmitted diseases, agree to wear a condom and allow her to be accompanied to the "appointment" by someone she trusts. In turn she will produce a medical document to certify that she is a virgin.

The online auction has already attracted a bid of 2,350,000 euros - just over £2 millions - an offer she rejected because the man wanted her to have sex with him regularly. Wow that guy sounds like a winner....She's admitted that this is a very difficult decision to make and that she cried for hours because she has no other choice, I feel so incredibly sorry for this woman and if I was rich and could afford to, I would buy her virginity and let her keep it. Why can't offers be made like that?