Keep your eyes on the prize.

But expect your vision to get foggy—with emotion. Maybe not crocodile tears, but certainly the lonely little tears of confusion, fear, and sheer Kierkegaardian angst.

In this BreakAway Kommittee’s case, the issues hitting the fan include: Transportation (Oy vey is mir, are we going to lose 6 or more days to flying, ferrying, taxi-ing, and schlepping in completely unpredictable vehicles?); What to bring (cameras, computers, toys, snorkel gear, and a guitar butt up against the ever-present uber-mantra “Travel light!”); where to stay (some prefer long, leisurely stays to hunker down and find a groove, while others want to see it all by moving around a lot).

We are deer in the headlights. Can’t see the bright lights hurling toward us through the weeps of emotion, though.

Pull off the road. Check your vision, map, and dipstick. Above all, remember the most relevant of The 5 5-word mantras: Everything is right on schedule.

ODDS OF GOING TODAY: 72.55%
BIGGEST OBSTACLE TODAY: Transportation
OPINION OF ISLAND TRANSPO BASED ON PAST TRIPS: Aaaaarrrgghh…

OMG.  FYI.  

• 53 Percentage of working Americans who have been interrupted by a work-related phone call or e-mail while in the bathroom.
• 23 Percentage who have been interrupted while on a date.
• 59 Percentage of working Americans who never turn off their mobile device.
• SOURCE: Nokia

Is this news? Or, as David Letterman would ask, “Is this something?”

No. Because most of us have already been there and done that, or at least seen that.

Yes, because it stinks. Not for Nokia, of course. They are laughing all the way to the bank (and the bathroom). But jeez, is it any wonder people complain about stress? That they grumble about lack of “free time?” I mean, if you offer up yourself to digital interruption when tending to nature’s calls, when won’t you?

If you can’t give unfettered attention to your date, what are the prospects for a long-term understanding, spreading the sheets together, or even a good-night kiss?

“Oh, ‘scuze me, Biff, I’m turned on but, like, so is my phone, and it’s all atwitter right now…”

“I’ll give you a little smooch right after I take this phone call…”

As for the 59% who NEVER turn it off, good luck. The few folks who believe in silence and choice wish you well. Please know, though, that most studies have debunked the notion of “multitasking” as poppycock. Human brains just ain’t wired for it. At this rate, maybe we WILL be in a few thousand years. But by then, cell phones will be so, like, yesterday.

Thanks for listening. Now if you’ll excuse me, please, I have to go the bathroom. OOPS! Almost forgot my i-phone…

“Our culture is suffering from an overdose of action and a shortage of contemplation. I consider contemplation a basic need; you even see it in animals. Just think about dogs and cats. You often see them staring off into space. I think that’s their way of meditating, their way of recharging their batteries. We need to have that too. But we deny this basic, psychological need—as if an entire society were to forget to go to the bathroom. That’s serious!”

Piero Ferrucci, Italian psychiatrist, in ODE Magazine, “The Silence Issue,” July/August 2008

I have a lot to say about this idea. But for now, perhaps it’s best if I stay quiet.

Check it out! This guru and travel agent for the BreakAway-bound is offering discounts to those who lost their jobs! He’s talking with HR departments to help tend to the soon-jobless.

He’s preaching the virtues of “newfound freedom” when unemployment strikes. He’s swimming against current panic and making money doing it.

Gotta love this guy—AND the amazing trips he offers!

Debt news is everywhere.  Are not we all forever indebted?

• 10 Percentage of Americans who are taking out more cash advances on their credit cards than in the past.
• 20 Percentage of respondents who indicate they are “sometimes” or “always” unable to pay their credit card and/or loan balances each month.
• 8 Percentage who say they can make only the minimum payment required.
• Source: Standard and Poor’s ExecuComp

The good news: These numbers, floating in air, don’t mean much without something to compare them to.

The bad news: Only a dummy would see any bright side to those numbers, with or without something to compare them to.

Folks, we are finally getting spanked for our squandering ways. Sure, it’s just numbers on paper. And so is money itself—and that was before computers made money a “virtual” concept and paper an ungreen commodity. But some big, fat RESET button in the fiscal sky is getting hit violently.

Ever see a thug play pinball? It’s not pretty. It usually breaks the machine, and then the rest of us can’t play our game with touch and intuition any more. Not until it gets fixed, which, of course, most pinball games don’t.

Who’s gonna pay for this stuff?

• The bailout(s)?
• The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout programs announced today (which failed to make stocks rally)?
• The car company bailouts?
• Overall government debt?
• Stimulus policies?
• A new New Deal?
• Evermore credit card debt—as illustrated above?

In the old days, you could find economists who would say things like, “Government debt doesn’t matter, because it’s only money a people owes to itself.” That argument doesn’t work not, though. The world is one big, broken piggy bank. And the U.S. owes gazillions to other countries. Do we expect them to give, forgive and forget?

No. So who’s gonna pay? You know who: Anybody with any cash. Anyone with taxable income. Anybody with a decent job and investing habits.

Bummer—if you should be so blessed, but that’s what you get for being “in the black.”
Nothing new about that, of course, but the stakes keep getting higher. Expect higher taxes, pathetic interest rates, little appreciation on your house and other hard assets, a stock market that will take years to get back to its recent highs, and possibly inflation. Stagflation. Deflation. Systemic, worldwide flatulence with not enough Gas-X to go around.

What’s this got to do with Sabbaticals? Plenty. If you’re waiting to get rich, or pay off all your debt, or have time to burn, it may never happen. Only you know. Or not.

Get out of town, while you still can. For now, you may have to overlook the debt. The banks. The government. The global meltdown that may or may not produce a kinder, gentler, stronger planet. You may have to stop hugging your dayjob, even though these days they are things worth holding onto.

Worry about YOU. Find a way to make time, take time, and let go of the numbers on paper that are crippling too many lives. Even if you’re about to file bankruptcy and lose your house, there may be a way. Life goes on. All you have is today, this moment, this breath.

As for the crisis? As usual, the experts and politicians are united in this one opinion: This too shall pass.

Have a sunny day.

This L. A. Times article is a must-read for anyone who:

• Thinks there is no upside to the downturn in shopping;
• believes they got it bad though they’ve not yet succumbed to thrift-store shopping;
• believes that it’s patriotic and good for the world to spend, spend, spend;
• would like to compare their debt load: “The typical American carries credit-card debt of more than $8,000…”

Author Judith Freeman nails it with this thoughtful missive…

It’s time to pull back. The beast of burden simply can’t carry any more. Few Americans have much in the way of savings. Many of us have lived beyond our means. The typical American carries credit card debt of more than $8,000, and credit is tightening. The party is over, and for many Americans it wasn’t even that much fun.

Yep, it’s time to pull back. And yet, many Goodwills and stuff donation centers are packed to the gills—turning down (or throwing away) donations. Waste management is a booming business. Storage services and pods keep expanding. And most Americans’ closets, pantries, AND panties are bursting.

Wanna BreakAway? Get out of debt. Spend less. (Ever try thrift and consignment stores? They can be entertaining, impressive, and inexpensive.) Try out the 11 Commandments of Fiscal Fitness. And remember: Even when money is in short supply, we are all equally rich with time.

TIME IS THE NEW MONEY.

Spend both sensibly! (Or both will be gone before you know what hit ya…)

Now here’s a fascinating article. In short, a recent survey found that young people (15-25) say they are more spiritual than ever:

“93 percent of the young people surveyed believe there is a spiritual aspect to life.”

“Spending time in nature” topped the list of responses. “Listening to or playing music” was No. 2, and “helping other people or the community” was third.

“Attending religious services” was ninth on the list of the top 12 most-frequent answers.

Many young people are turning to meditation — so many, in fact, that the Mindfulness Meditation Club at the University of Minnesota soon might be forced to find a bigger space for its weekly introductory yoga classes.”

Why is this makeyourbreakaway site curious? Because a Sabbatical is, at its core, a spiritual Mission. A time of probing and opening and releasing and—most of all—FAITH.

If you don’t have the faith that you can BreakAway someday—and that something profound awaits on your journey—then your odds of getting a Sabbatical plummet.

But if you ride your Faith, it just may lead you to free time, fun, and fantastic experiences (which, for most people, includes desire for time in nature) that you crave. And you can bet your i-Touch you’ll be touched in ways that are (call it what you want) deep and spiritual.

Take your time. And keep the faith.

Reality check time. Running away is NOT a good idea. Don’t try this at home. Wouldn’t be prudent. Bad idea. Just stay home.

Fit hit the shan all over the place this weekend. MLHSHD (major league high stakes high drama). It’s all family and personal and serious and stuff, so you DON’T want to hear about it. Let’s just say that the world does NOT stop, genuflect, or even say, “How can I help?” when you’re trying to BreakAway. In fact, the treadmill only speeds up.

As George Jetson said over and over:

“Jane! Stop this crazy thing!?!”

Heck, on a good day, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with Stuff Management, dishwasher emptying, laundry mashing, and schedule shuffling. If you could beam me there, Scotty, to that island of peace, that would be great. But prepping and packing and transporting? Not peaceful at all. No way. No thanks.

Earth to Kirk: Sit down. Get back in your box. Don’t drink that Kool-aid and for God’s sake, don’t serve any to your family! Keep life simple. Go organic. Wear a helmet.

• BIGGEST OBSTACLE TODAY: Reality.
• ODDS OF GOING TODAY: 55% (Let’s get real…)

Have a game plan. For any game worth playing. This “Shifting Careers” column offers a spot-on Sabbatical story well worth studying.

Barbara Raab brings a perspective that this Breakaway boy may lack: What it’s like to tell The Boss (and your workplace team) you want time off and make sure their needs are met—all without getting canned or kicked in the can. Ms. Raab has it “easy” in a way we self-employeds envy, though: She’ll return to a job and benefits.

That sounds pretty good about now. Last time 2 Heads shut shop to run away, we left when business was booming (the dot-com melt-up). But we came back to see billings cut in half for two years (the dot-com blow-up). If that happens again, Boy Genius here may lose money AND faith.

Let’s have a make-believe, virtual conversation with Ms. Raab…

“A short walk that nonetheless feels far away.”

That proves that, even if you stay in the ‘hood, everything changes. My personal preference, as written up in the Sabbatical Suggestions, is to seek new sights—as in, leave the country, if possible. That guarantees new perspectives. But her approach is appropriate for her Mission.

“Updating my own skills.”

Amen to that. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with trades and technology any more. She’ll make quantum leaps and return a more savvy employee. In my world, this Hiatus includes confronting my technophobic ways with 2 new cameras, many new puter programs, an i-Touch, and this here website.

“Figure out if you can afford it.”

She can—mostly because she proudly stays out of debt and chooses a simple-enough lifestyle. Agreed, as illustrated in the “11 Commandments of Fiscal Fitness.”  That said, I also believe there are many times throughout life when it’s best to break out this five-word mantra: “It’s not a financial decision.”

“Offer solutions.”

Brilliant. Vital in the workplace. But if you’re flying off, you may also need to anticipate issues and provide solutions for residence, schools, yard, pets, relatives, organizations, and of course, your bowling team.

“And, oh yeah, somehow get my own radio show.”

Really? Get out!?! I thought I was the only cat around here with that dream! Tell ya what, Barbara, whoever gets there first has the other on as a guest asap. Okay? Cool!

The short answer: It appears the Sabbatical schedule is taking shape. Let me tell you where we’re going (though we’ll probably end up someplace else…)

• St. John
• St. Vincent
• Bequia
• Grenada & the Grenadine Islands
• Puerto Rico

Odds are we’ll be sleeping in hotels, guesthouses, condos, lodges, resorts, and no doubt a shanty and airport and broken-down bus at some point. The itinerary is coming together in that way that 555-piece puzzles do: First around the corners; then the edges; then chunks of the multifarious middle. Then, abruptly…OO-bop sha-BAMM! It all somehow fits.

Leaving you to wonder: If it was all there in the first place; why was this so hard!?!

Kind readers, forgive me for neglecting to babble about the flurry of planning activity that precedes taking a 69-day Breakaway. But gosh, it just don’t make great reading. I know: I read it all…and then deleted half of it (not nearly enough).

Anyway, planning takes on a life of its own. I can’t keep up with it myself—to say nothing of the rest of life’s demands.

Tonight, BTW, that includes directing dozens of grade school musicians who will be serenading diners at the school’s annual fund-raising spaghetti dinner. (Funds go toward a class BreakAway for bonding and science to a lakeside retreat Up North.) With my 6th grade violinist, we shall perform 4 Beatles songs: Eleanor Rigby; Hide Your Love Away; Yellow Submarine; and Blackbird.

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

Thanks, Paul.

“And we live a life of ease.
Everyone of us has all we please.
Then the band begins to PLAY.”

Thanks, Ringo.

• COUNTDOWN: 43 Days
• ODDS OF GOING TODAY: 90%…a new HIGH! : )