3T

A few days ago I run into an interesting article about Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). When I was thumbing through the article, I noticed there were no political comments or anything related to his relationship with Queen Victoria, aspect that I was primarily interested in reading about. To my surprise, the article dealt with Disraeli´s contribution to literature. I had no idea that apart from being the British Prime Minister in a couple of occasions, he had also written poems and two novels. The article said that he penned several romances and two novels: Sybil and Vivian Grey, from which I had not heard much either. However, in the middle of this interesting reading, there was a quote that caught my attention and now serves as the excuse for this entry. Disraeli is supposed to have said once: "Traveling teaches toleration", or the mnemotechnic rule that I have applied to give a name to his entry and that, hopefully, will help me remember Disraeli´s words, 3T.

To me, traveling has always being an important part of a person´s education. It enriches people´s personalities, it helps us understand other cultures and respect everyone. Traveling teaches us that the world should not have borders because we are all the same, no matter how far we go. Traveling increases the appreciation for the traveler´s origins and roots, it also helps a person to be more self-assured and self-confident. Besides, it broadens the traveler´s perspectives and ideas about life and the world. It certainly increases the sense of independance and responsability...well, there are countless advantages of traveling, which brings me to mind Tennyson´s Ulysses (1842) and the following unforgettable lines:


Ulysses
by Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

[...] I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy’d
Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments...