The Art of Communication

Communication, what is it? The exchange of ideas, thoughts or feelings between two or more people seems to encompass the essence. People interacting with each other through various means to convey a thought.
These means have evolved over the centuries. American Indians used smoke signals to broadcast a message for miles. Some native cultures use drums to communicate with the next village. Even animals have forms of communication, wolves howling, birds chirping, and the most interesting, whales singing. Spoken languages led to the creation of alphabets and written language.
In the late 1800's there was the development of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. In March of 1876, he uttered the words... Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you. This simple phrase transformed the world. Soon telephones became common place in homes, trans-Atlantic cables were laid, the world was becoming smaller. Further development led to the demise of the operator, the rotary phone, then the push button. Satellites transmitted the signals and long cables under the oceans were no longer needed.
Then came beepers and portable phones. The first of these phones were large and cumbersome and had short battery life. With the advances in technology, portable phones can now easily fit in a pocket and are capable of many functions. Besides calls, these little hand held computers can send test messages anywhere in the world.
The same can be said of writing a letter. Matching stamps, stationery and envelopes made it a kind of formal event. Thank you cards were had written for gifts. Christmas cards along with birthday cards were mailed. Now emails have replaced most of theses.
With all the advances made in methods of communication, is the world better? Yes and no. Easy access to friends and relatives miles away is great, especially with a camera equipped computer. Being able to chat with relatives in Europe for free makes it easy and affordable. But there is also a down side, too much electronic connection, can lead to sensory overload. People texting in the middle of a personal conversation, driving while talking or texting, social networking sites. Is a constant connection that important?
Maybe a break is needed? Leave the cell phone home and relax. Future Vacations can book a vacation to an all-inclusive resort, where the only reason to pick up the phone is to book a spa treatment. A Mediterranean cruise to see the wonders of the ancient world is a great escape. Experiencing buildings from hundreds to thousands of years old, makes you wonder why you have a wall crack in a three year old condo. But if the idea of getting away from it all appeals to you, contact Future Vacations and disconnect from the wireless rat race.