← Speeches & Workshops

Joint Bar/Medical society

Feb 98 Travel

Forrest Keaton.. feel free to poke fun. No way. My life is in Dr. Prabhaker’s hands. In fact, he’s had more than that of mine in his hands. Passavant’s Rock around the Doc Dr. Prabhaker.. “The finger you made famous!”

Yesterday.. cold.. walked into his exam room at 2 o’clock.. not bad for a 12:30 appointment. He always gives me heck for waiting so long to come in. Says my colds and ailments would be easier to cure in its early stages. I keep telling him my cold is in its early stages when I walk in the office.

One question… If they have me sit there without my clothes waiting for you, why do you knock before you come in?

We communicate well considering his foreign speech impediment.

Hospitalized a few years ago. Heard the nurse ask Dr.P.. “What are we operating for?” “Two thousand dollars.” “You don’t understand me. What does he have?” “Two thousand dollars.”

Nice Intro… Roger Ebert

The worst time of the year to live in Illinois. Uncle Harris.. took look six days and nights to make heaven and Earth.. Thursday afternoon… January

Teaching introduced me to travel. Have taken hundreds of Morgan County folks around the world… Every tour guide says the same… there’s something different about your group. One even brought his wife to Central Illinois to see what it was.

Winter is no good for travel. Travel: Boston S’field plane United, American, TWA

Began ‘79 Inspiration: Dr. Charles Frank A sophomore girl, detasseled, etc..Susan Hatfield… had to see Europe. Since then, hundreds… Morgan, Cass, Pike, Sangamon

Robert Benchley: IN AMERICA THERE ARE TWO CLASSES OF TRAVEL: FIRST CLASS AND WITH CHILDREN.

See through fresh eyes....Went to London alone because I was tired of traveling with kids… Just wasn’t the same.

Mark Twain: I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE AIN’T NO SURER WAY TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOU LIKE PEOPLE OR HATE THEM THAN TO TRAVEL WITH THEM.

---Beardstown Ladies...King’s Cross...Sydney Australia

---MUST BE SENSITIVE TO PARENTS....Tahiti, Jeremy, Paul Gogan Maroa

(I don’t tell these stories until the group returns)

John Steinbeck: A JOURNEY IS LIKE MARRIAGE. THE CERTAIN WAY TO BE WRONG IS TO THINK YOU CONTROL IT.

---Beth K & Eric M...Bullfight

Noel Coward opinion on air travel: “HOW WAS YOUR FLIGHT?” WELL, AERONAUTICALLY IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. SOCIALLY, IT LEFT QUITE A BIT TO BE DESIRED. …Airline rules

1. the larger you are, the further you will be seated from the aisle
2. If you are tired and need to sleep, the baby with nasal congestion will be seated directly behind you.
3. the travelers with no interest in scenery will get the window seats
4. they will have nothing but baked chicken by the time they get to you.

...Air Italia...cockpit window.

---Worst airline ever: Aeoflat..Aro-flop..landed three times each time. ……Champaign Dave...getting out of Soviet Union. --Last Trip: Ireland … Continental… Cleveland.. delayed in Newark, overnight… We never travel without Christ.

CUSTOMS: ..Unisex Toilets...concentration ..French Bidet...Rick: Sock washer...wet pantlegs ..Jodi and Susan...bathtubs. . “Girls knocked up” TRULY UNFORGETABLE MOMENTS: ..Ladies in rags waiting for hours to take communion in Soviet Union. ...Seeing St. Basil’s cathedral in Red Square for the first time. ...Highest point in Kremlin: A cross. …The Whales in Alaska ..Ireland...Preacher Frank from West Virginia clearing out a bar for church ..Assisi...Sinclair Lewis: HE WHO HAS SEEN ONE CATHEDRAL TEN TIMES HAS SEEN SOMETHING; HE WAS HAS SEEN TEN CATHEDRALS ONCE HAS SEEN BUT LITTLE; AND HE WAS HAS SPENT HALF AN HOUR IN EACH OF A HUNDRED CATHEDRALS HAS SEEN NOTHING AT ALL. Two olive-skinned ladies on tour --The Alps.....Thomas Gray in 1739 on viewing the Alps: THERE ARE CERTAIN SCENES THAT WOULD AWE AN ATHEIST INTO BELIEF, WITHOUT THE HELP OF ANY OTHER ARGUMENT> --Craig, Lucerne, Richard, communion Richard: Les Miz, Miss Saigon, English Music Hall (Me: writing V’Ville show) (2 girls on the way out)

....FINALLY: The story I never tell if any future travelers in the audience. Part of it was printed in USA TODAY last year..Paris-Madrid train.

John Steinbeck: WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG AND THE URGE TO BE SOMEPLACE WAS ON ME, I WAS ASSURED BY MATURE PEOPLE THAT MATURITY WOULD CURE THIS ITCH. WHEN YEARS DESCRIBED ME AS MATURE, THE REMEDY PRESCRIBED WAS MIDDLE AGE. IN MIDDLE AGE I WAS ASSURED THAT GREATER AGE WOULD CALM MY FEVER AND NOW THAT I AM FIFTY-EIGHT PERHAPS SENILITY WILL DO THE JOB. NOTHING HAS WORKED...IN OTHER WORDS, I DONT IMPROVE, IN FURTHER WORDS, ONCE A BUM ALWAYS A BUM. I FEAR THE DISEASE IS INCURABLE.

Happy traveling! One disease that even Dr. P can’t cure…

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