CONNECT TO PEOPLE, NOT YOUR DEVICE

Recently I had the pleasure of traveling to Ireland and England. I had been to both countries before, and they proved to be just as enchanting on this trip. The scenery, the culture, the sights, and the people were wonderful. I couldn't have dreamed of more spectacular accomodations or more delicious cuisine in each location. However, what I enjoy most during all my vacations is interacting and connecting with the people I have the opportunity to meet. I thouroughly enjoy initiating conversations with the locals and other tourists. Each day, I engage in discussions with the doormen, the hotel and restaurant staff, the shopkeepers, residents, and uber drivers. Often my curiousity leads me to ask about their lives, their political views of their own country, our cultural differences, prominent news stories-the war in Ukraine, Israeli War, the Epstein files and of course, their views of our President and our country. Why do they live where they live? Were they born here? Did they move for economic reasons? The wonderful driver that transported us from Dublin to the Ashford Castle (a three hour drive) thought Trump was a crazy man. He couldnt believe America voted for him twice. My falcon instructor at Ashford Castle in Ireland was from Seville, Spain (a beautiful little town in Spain that I have visited). He came to Ireland for work and loves his job, but he did not like the cold weather. So ultimately, he plans to return to his native Spain and the warm weather. In the little town of County Mayo where the castle is, there is a life size statue of John Wayne. The town is extremely proud of the film, The Quiet Man, which was filmed there. In fact, on every television in every room of the castle, you can access this movie and so, yes indeed, I watched it! The customs agents when leaving Ireland (to fly to London) were beyond excited to find out we lived in New Jersey! They screamed, "BRUCE" "BRUCE"!! Everyone everywhere apparently loves Springsteen! We got such a kick out of this. They barely checked our passports! Many of my friends questioned why I would go to London because they feel it is very antisemetic. My experience was far from that. Everyone was kind, friendly, and incredibly hospitable. When we arrived at the Connaught in London, a lovely Jewish Wedding was taking place and everyone working there was very excited to host this weekend event. Many of our Uber drivers in London think America is facing very hard times. Only 16% of EU citizens consider the U.S. an ally. Their trust has dwindled and they don't consider Trump a reliable friend. I felt that we, as Americans, always were personally welcomed in both countries. Yet, the people in Ireland and England that I spoke with, have a true concern over America's stability and many consider the U.S. a moderate threat. Their support for NATO remains high. The British support Ukraine and they feel Trump has abandoned aiding Ukraine. Also, the British believe in prosecuting those involved with Jeffrey Epstein (Prince Andrew and Pete Mandelson) and don't understand why the U.S. isn't releasing all the files and punishing those involved with Epstein. Unlike Trump, Prince Charles and England is environmentally minded and stongly clashes with Trump's views of climate change and the future of our planet. In all these respects, most of England considers Trump to be dangerous, chaotic, and a narcissist. I believe that we can learn alot about our neighbors, our children, our friends, and our relatives by having constructive and kind conversations. In order to do this, we really must put down our phones and step away from our computers. It's okay to have opposing ideas and opinions but we must listen to others and have grace while doing so. It's never too late to learn something new or to adjust your mindset. Be open to listening and learning something new and different. Life is way too short to spend your time looking at your phone rather than looking at the people across from you. Try showing a true interest in what others have have to say. It's such fun! PEACE OUT-ONE B