Lessons From the Titanic

     Today I did something a bit interesting. I went to see the exhibition of artifacts from the "Titanic", which is currently in Tel Aviv for a two month stay. I went with my husband, purchasing tickets as a special treat for him (knowing that he would enjoy viewing the display)

[Note to Israeli readers: the tickets are 154 shekeks; the exhibition is NOT shomer shabbas. Be sure to buy tickets including the audio earphones, which add a great deal to the visit. ALL of the exhibition material is in English/ Hebrew/ Russian. The entire show is wheelchair accessible.]

[image: myself, standing in front of a model of the grand staircase]

   The display was very well done, giving one a definite feel of life on the ship, and of the various types of people aboard. This is the emphasis of the material shown, rather than the sinking itself (although the sinking and aftermath ARE also covered). In addition, there is an added-on part about Jewish victims/survivors.

  Having spent so much money (three tickets---I had a married son come along to push my husband's wheelchair -=, plus an outrageous 50 shekels for parking= almost $150), I wondered what lessons I can take away from this experience.

Here are a few thoughts:

1) Even the glitzy is often tarnished if you examine it closely.  The first class passengers paid $2500 for passage (equivalent to about $57,000 today), enjoying the most luxurious amenities available at that time.  Yet the gossips, the mistresses, and the card sharks were there as well.

2) Try to keep in mind that the things we feel are stable and permanent in our lives may very quickly turn out not to be so. Life can be fragile. Let your family know how much you love them.

3) And finally, I noted one more thing: The first-class section had a gym room with state-of-the-art (for that day) equipment. If the rich (those who can afford the equivalent of over $50,000) understood the need for exercise, why are we shirking…..???????

   And just to prove that I am not shirking, I went walking afterwards from the exhibition center to Reading power station and from there to Tel Baruch and back to Reading… And here are a few pictures from there:

[image: sea view near sunset ]

[image: rocks along the shore ]

[image: yellow blossoms]