Some People and Happiness

As I go about every day meeting new people and talking to them I can make out two different kinds of people. There are genuine and nice people who seem happy, and then there are folks who have a façade. I notice that there are many people who are afraid to show others who they really are. They are people who brag, show off, or talk/act in certain ways to create and impression on others. It matters very deeply to these kinds of people what others think of them and they constantly need reassurance. They look for attention and ways to prove themselves to others because they are unhappy. I believe the greatest feeling in life is happiness. Whether it comes from success, love, excitement, adventure, by whatever means you go about pursuing it the achievement of it is all that matters. So for example somebody who wears $400 jeans: Do they like the jeans because they love fashion and expressing their style makes them happy? Or do they wear the jeans to show off? If you are trying to show off you are obviously not very satisfied with yourself at the moment. This is apparent through your desire for other’s acceptance. A smoker… of any kind: do you smoke because it makes you feel good? Or do you smoke to look cool and try to impress others? I believe the most fascinating quality of a person is their passion! What is it that this person really loves? What makes them happy? What in their life have they found to be most fulfilling to them? It doesn’t matter to me if it’s someone that plays video games all day, or someone who travels the globe because of their passion for adventure, the excitement of seeing the world, and experiencing new things! Each to their own I always say. We can’t ALL be the same! There are billions of us, in fact no one individual is the same as another. That’s why we all lead different paths and seek different goals. If you’re looking for happiness you just gotta do your own thing. Enjoy yourself, and do whatever brings you happiness. I believe that is most impressive quality and really stands out most in a person. If you’ve found something you love to do, a passion, whatever it is that makes you happy? You do it, enjoy it, and you will live a great life.

My Blog?

I've decided to go with a theme every week that hopefully pairs well my blog's easygoing and tropical feel. Last week I wrote about enjoying life. And this week I was inspired by some fond memories I have about the Bahamas, enjoy!

A Short Story

Three shots of tequila and two long island iced teas were all it took to make Rocco Beckett push and pull his way upside and inside out to Ricky Martin’s international smash hit ‘Livin La Vida Loca’. Rocco did not hesitate to take the outdoor stage of Monty’s Raw Bar in Coconut Grove, Florida. The salty sea breeze of Biscayne Bay flowed over the Thursday afternoon happy hour patrons of the ocean side restaurant. Karaoke was not the usual entertainment at this tropical hotspot, but the alcohol gave Rocco the sudden urge to get up and perform for those in attendance. The late afternoon crowd of local young and trendy socialites did not pay much attention to his dancing and singing, although his group of friends found his drunkenness hilarious. 25 year old Rocco was an excellent salsa dancer, pulling a beautiful girl from the nearest table he showed off his moves to the remainder of the song. As the DJ continued to play a mix of latin and tropical music Rocco invited his new dance partner and her friends to join his group at their table.
“You are quite the dancer!” she said, still a little out of breath from the surprise and disbelief that she actually got up and danced in front of a crowd of stranger.“I taught him everything he knows!” exclaimed Rocco’s best friend Gio already flirting with two of the other girls who joined their group. “I lived in Cuba every summer since I was 10.” Rocco said as he took a seat next to the beautiful girl, “My mother moved back to her hometown of Varadero when she separated from my dad, and I spent a lot of time at a local salsa club innocently chasing the sexy salsa dancing women years out of my reach.” “My name is Daphne.” Said the beautiful, blue eyed girl as she flipped her light brown hair. “What was it like living there?” “It’s a pleasure to meet you Daphne” said Rocco with a cunning smile on his face “I lived in an ocean front home where I spent every morning collecting seashells and anything else that washed ashore overnight. Life was easygoing and tropical in contrast to the poverty and hard lives of most of the other residents. My mother’s father was a diplomat in the government and my dad owned a small airline charter company that flew around the Caribbean. That explains the nice house and me being allowed to visit Cuba.” “That sounds like a pretty adventurous lifestyle, traveling from country to country!” Said Daphne. “When is your next adventure?” “Tomorrow morning!” said Rocco leaning back in his chair and pointing to his friends at the table, “We are goin’ on a two week-long fishing and diving trip. Ever been to the Bahamas?” “Nope -- but I would love too.” Daphne said knowingly teasing Rocco. Little did he know that she had plans of her own the next morning. “We depart on Gio’s boat tomorrow morning for Bimini. From there we plan to sail to the Berry Islands, Andros, Cat Island, and the Exumas. How would you like to have dinner tomorrow night?” Daphne laughed at what Rocco was implying and said “Wont you be in Bimini?” “Bimini is only a 25 minute flight from here, you can hop on one of my flights in the afternoon and meet me at Bimini Bay Resort just in time for dinner.” Said Rocco in a very enthusiastic voice. “One of your flights? You have planes now?” Questioned Daphne. “My father’s planes, he handed over his the charter company to me just last year.” Said Rocco, not showing much emotion. “you don't seem very excited about that,” said Daphne “why did he hand over the company” “Because he is afraid of flying.” Said Rocco with an odd grin on his face as if he was amused by the irony. “Well that’s not much of a selling point Rocco. Anyways I am already on a 6:30AM flight to Nassau. You see, I was raised in Miami but I’m from South Africa and I’m only in Miami for a day because my boss has sent me to arrange his take-over of the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. So I’m afraid my business is gonna carry me in a different direction than you guys.” “Well that’s too bad.” Said Rocco. “Maybe we will run into each other again some other day.”
The September sun set on the happy hour crowd as everyone sipped their last drinks and filed out of the bar. Daphne and her friends said goodbye to Rocco and his boisterous fishing buddies.

Boat Trip

It was the longest boat trip I had ever set out upon. Till then I had only traveled there on cruise ships and short 30 minute flights on rickety single-prop charter planes. The crew on the 33 foot Contender for this trip included my dad, uncle, cousin, myself, and two friends. After quickly loading the boat we drifted out of the mangroves of Coco Plum Marina and speeded across the light green waters of Biscayne Bay. We passed the lighthouse on the southern tip of Key Biscayne and crossed the continental shelf into the Gulf Stream. With the tall hotels of South Beach and downtown Miami well out of sight; once we passed the last boat fishing for sailfish in the Stream; once I could see nothing in any direction I realized as I looked into the deep, empty, dark blue of the Atlantic - I was in a whole other world. With the rumbling engines and the wind whisping my ears I could hear nothing. The sea affected all of my senses: I could taste and smell the salt from the ocean, the bright sun in the cloudless sky warmed my skin, and all there was to see was blue. The water is very eerie in The Bermuda Triangle the dark water seems lifeless as you look thousands of meters down into its depths. It seems like you are going nowhere for hours, not knowing if you’re going in circles, the sun changes positions… thank god for GPS! The scenery never changes but as I would peer over at the screen trying to figure out how much longer till we see land I could see us getting closer. Just then right as the odometer reads 150 miles my entire world changes! All of the sudden the water turns to a vibrant and vivid turquoise! I see tall pines in the distance, I hear seagulls squawking, the wind dies down. As we draw closer to the island I lean over the side of the boat to splash my face with the warm refreshing salt water and I could see a beautiful reef, schools of fish, and the pure white sand of the Bahamas.