We all tell our stories. Then we add more stories, embellishing them for other
audiences. “Is that the truth” becomes a frequently asked question.
What do you do when your story material runs low? Well, take a trip and try for more
stories found in different settings.
Marty Coffin Evans 2024
We experienced this last summer when we met fellow Upper Mississippi River travelers
that first breakfast. “Our daughter says we need new material,” explained one
tablemate. Soon entertaining stories emerged.
“I took a shower this morning and realized I forgot to shampoo my hair,” commented
one gal. Back into the shower she went for a redo. Another commented about her sister
mixing up the spray. She misted her hair with the room deodorizer while the more
traditional spray remained untouched. “I couldn’t read my bottles very well so double
conditioned my hair for days. Later I realized I hadn’t been using shampoo,” lamented
another. Glasses in the shower, anyone?
Speaking of showers, one traveler regaled us with his story of being “stuck” since the
door wouldn’t open when he was inside. After complaining to the staff, an attendant
showed him how to pull the door toward himself vs pushing it in from the outside. He
never got “stuck” again!
Some travelers have tales dealing with clothing. One traveler’s two tee shirts lasted five
days until her luggage arrived. Another wore her roommates clothes for 10 days until
her own reached her.
River cruises provided more stories about unexpected “viewing” opportunities especially
when travelers expected to be docked only to find themselves looking into another
ship’s stateroom! Standing in natural or other attire surprised all!
Whether gathered daily or drawn from past travels, “new material” keeps us all laughing
at ourselves. We fondly remember last summer’s travelers and tales. It’s time to look for
this year’s material.
Martha (Marty) Coffin Evans, Ed.D, freelance writer with MACE Associates, LLC can be
reached at itsmemartee@aol.com or her website martycoffinevans.com.