morning stone
Once, long, long ago when I was a bit depressed, I decided to give myself an odd treat — a little present that really didn’t cost that much. I booked a hotel room in my own hometown.
Why a hotel room in my own hometown? Well, I didn’t have cable, and I wanted to watch some football and basketball games in, so to speak, the luxurious comfort of my “home” (a home which, by the way, someone had cleaned for me, would clean after me after I left). And I also could swim in a pool, and I could booze it up if I wanted to — after all, I wasn’t going to drive home.
No, I didn’t booze it up, but I had a good, luxurious night out: I ordered pizza, watched a big-screen TV, lazed around in bed. It was terrible.
Recently I thought: Why not do it again? But there’s nothing a hotel has to offer that I don’t already have. Actually, I have better than what they have to offer.
Really exotic motels offer an indoor swimming pool, but I already swam every single day in one of the most beautiful, yet most private pools in Traverse City, and it is only six blocks away from me. By motel standards, the pool is quite large: half the size of full-length pools.
Every morning, one whole lane was reserved for me for a half hour. Often I was the only person in this beautiful, glass-doomed pool. A motel can’t offer me better than that, not in terms of a pool.
How about a big TV? I recently bought a digital big-screen TV. Although I am not hooked to cable, my antenna pulls in enough sports games to satisfy me and the picture is beautiful.
How about private tennis courts? Traverse City has many, many beautiful tennis courts. On most days, my partner and I were the only ones out there hitting tennis balls. At a motel or resort, I’d have to seek out tennis opponents of the right caliber.
What does a hotel have to offer me? Beaches? Traverse City has many, many, many beaches.
Traverse City is as close to paradise on Earth as anywhere I can find. Beautiful, empty tennis courts. Several pools to swim in, and others about to be built. Beaches galore. Restaurants suddenly of all kinds and all nationalities, and so many are so good.
Those of you living here now should give thanks. These are the good old days. love them Savor them. Thank whoever you feel is in charge for having placed you in so pleasant a place.
I say this especially since, in my opinion, these days will come soon to an end. I am a firm believer in global warming. Catastrophic conditions are ahead. Terrible things will happen then, but, meanwhile, these are the good old days.
About the author: Henry Morgenstein taught at Northwestern Michigan College for 30 years and wrote bi-weekly columns for the Traverse City Record-Eagle (1985-1991). He split his time between Southampton, England and Traverse City.
About the author: Henry Morgenstein taught at Northwestern Michigan College for 30 years and wrote bi-weekly columns for the Traverse City Record-Eagle (1985-1991). He split his time between Southampton, England and Traverse City.
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