For me, my yellow brick road involves seeing the world on my own terms. If there is some hint I want to do, I do. As I sit here in my hotel in Copacabana, having just celebrated my 56 birthday I am thinking how very blessed I truly am!
First off as a little girl, I remember when the song “The Girl from Ipanema,” was realized and dreaming of the far away land. Never.thinking one day I would be visiting the beautiful place. Well, it is truly a gorgeous place and the sand is white and finer than fine sugar! The water is blue and warm, even in their winter. The streets are lined with the most beautiful Muriel’s, graffita as they refer to it. But much of the graffiti is religious in design and how refreshing to be in a country where the religious expressions has not been beat senseless out of the culture, like in the US. I will digress a moment and just would like to state I find it utterly appalling that the pledge of allegiance is no longer a part of our children’s daily school routine. Some person or persons found it offensive and complained, thus it was removed! Do you think I could complain and it would be reinstated? NOPE. Mind you, I have never been about the color of someone’s skin and never will be, I just find it offensive at the continued level of racism and the US has been stripped of everything that instills a sense of pride to be a part of our country because someone was offended. Ok, I am hoping off my soap box.
For me, traveling to Rio has continued me on my Yellow Brick Road of a life well lived! ~Shirene