For some unknown reason, Dick Cavett's interview of Woody Allen popped up onto my youtube home page, and as we are wont to do when wasting time, I clicked on it.
Early on, the erudite Cavett asked about the filmmaker's progress after 13 years of Freudian Pychoanalysis. Woody declared, "I started when I was 22, and I'm 35, so I have aged, and that's something."
In his halting comedic style, Woody went on to say that when having relations with someone, he could, as of the prior week, "now think of that person...rather than somebody else, which is an enormous step forward to me."
As with most humor, what makes it funny is that Woody hits on a key underlying truth, which in this new age of omnipresent smart phones rings louder and truer than ever.
How often have you been in a room of people checking smart phones rather than interacting with others within their physical presence or even being cognizant of their environs?
It's the norm, these days.
Yes, many of us have been freed from the confines of four office walls by this technology, but that also means we take the office with us everywhere.
Beyond work, however, checking email, facebook and news feeds have gone beyond being daily rituals to being compulsions demanding to be fed every five minutes.
Even when everything streams along perfectly, constantly updating with the world wide web creates a form of stress, but what about when something undesirable unfolds? We can't escape, and it feels overwhelming.
While there is something wonderful happening in the world all the time, including wherever we happen to be, it becomes secondary to a distant news report, because there is also something terrible happening in the world at that same time.
Worse yet, when we have a personal disaster, it follows us everywhere, often in the guise of sympathetic friends and acquaintances who have nothing but the best of intentions.
Theoretically we can shake all this off and simply begin enjoying our lives by intentionally re-setting our mindset at the appropriate time, but that is easier said than done.
Travel has proven to be a wonderful re-set. Yes, we often find ourselves replaying memories at the outset or while relaxing on a lounge chair between excursions, but for the most part we find ourselves excited to be in the present moment in an unfamiliar world.
As you know, cruising is the best way to "escape completely."
Cruise lines have expanded bandwidth on ships, so passengers find it easier to stay in touch with people back home, but most of us at the very least scale back to business only, "which is an enormous step forward to me."
More importantly, we begin to think again as we did as children, seeing wonder all around us.
We're reminded to see, hear, taste, smell and feel everything, and when we return home, we find that that renewed outlook and sense awareness carries forward with us for at least a few more months.
I've discovered a vacation experience that is even more immersive: river cruising.
Yes, it costs more, but it also frees us from cost concerns about optional items like excursions and select local wines and beers with dinner, keeping us more rooted in the present moment of our sojourn.
In the case of Uniworld River Cruises, the experience becomes essentially all-inclusive, with prepaid gratuities, truly gourmet dining and beverages including premium labels throughout the cruise. The seamless experience includes award-winning daily shore excursions that weave together an amazing tapestry of experiences sure to maximize your appreciation of the regions visited.
High demand for river cruises would ordinarily have made summer and fall cruises unattainable in May, but this summer, there's not only availability but also value-priced cruises for those who book right now!
Uncertainty in Europe has created remarkable values for those who dare to live their dreams in ocean crusing as well as river cruising.
And if you aren't ready to go that far, find an amazing cruise close to home. In fact, a short cruise escape may be enough to revitalize your life.
Better service leads to better trips!
In his halting comedic style, Woody went on to say that when having relations with someone, he could, as of the prior week, "now think of that person...rather than somebody else, which is an enormous step forward to me."
As with most humor, what makes it funny is that Woody hits on a key underlying truth, which in this new age of omnipresent smart phones rings louder and truer than ever.
How often have you been in a room of people checking smart phones rather than interacting with others within their physical presence or even being cognizant of their environs?
It's the norm, these days.
Beyond work, however, checking email, facebook and news feeds have gone beyond being daily rituals to being compulsions demanding to be fed every five minutes.
Even when everything streams along perfectly, constantly updating with the world wide web creates a form of stress, but what about when something undesirable unfolds? We can't escape, and it feels overwhelming.
While there is something wonderful happening in the world all the time, including wherever we happen to be, it becomes secondary to a distant news report, because there is also something terrible happening in the world at that same time.
Worse yet, when we have a personal disaster, it follows us everywhere, often in the guise of sympathetic friends and acquaintances who have nothing but the best of intentions.
Theoretically we can shake all this off and simply begin enjoying our lives by intentionally re-setting our mindset at the appropriate time, but that is easier said than done.
Travel has proven to be a wonderful re-set. Yes, we often find ourselves replaying memories at the outset or while relaxing on a lounge chair between excursions, but for the most part we find ourselves excited to be in the present moment in an unfamiliar world.
As you know, cruising is the best way to "escape completely."
Cruise lines have expanded bandwidth on ships, so passengers find it easier to stay in touch with people back home, but most of us at the very least scale back to business only, "which is an enormous step forward to me."
More importantly, we begin to think again as we did as children, seeing wonder all around us.
We're reminded to see, hear, taste, smell and feel everything, and when we return home, we find that that renewed outlook and sense awareness carries forward with us for at least a few more months.
I've discovered a vacation experience that is even more immersive: river cruising.
Yes, it costs more, but it also frees us from cost concerns about optional items like excursions and select local wines and beers with dinner, keeping us more rooted in the present moment of our sojourn.
In the case of Uniworld River Cruises, the experience becomes essentially all-inclusive, with prepaid gratuities, truly gourmet dining and beverages including premium labels throughout the cruise. The seamless experience includes award-winning daily shore excursions that weave together an amazing tapestry of experiences sure to maximize your appreciation of the regions visited.
High demand for river cruises would ordinarily have made summer and fall cruises unattainable in May, but this summer, there's not only availability but also value-priced cruises for those who book right now!
Uncertainty in Europe has created remarkable values for those who dare to live their dreams in ocean crusing as well as river cruising.
And if you aren't ready to go that far, find an amazing cruise close to home. In fact, a short cruise escape may be enough to revitalize your life.
Better service leads to better trips!
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