Ready to See Beyond Shadows?

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Since writing about the final day of our South America/Antarctica cruise, I've been devoting an hour or two each day to online classes, including one about "The Great Ideas of Philosophy."

Because of the nature of the subject, the first fourteen classes are focused on one of my favorite destinations, Greece, which gave birth to philosophers who have been revered for over 2,300 years.

Interestingly, Socrates, did not write down his own teachings, leaving that task to those who knew him.  His most prominent chronicler was Plato, but modern man continues to re-interpret his teachings.

While this video seems to imply you can find truth online --- which may or may not be true depending on which "shadows" you accept to represent reality --- nothing compares with experiencing reality.

We are spiritual beings purpose-built to share human experiences.

It's true that humans like web sites may or may not be truthful, but if you're on an excursion curated by a cruise line or reputable packaged tour company, you can be pretty sure that the selection of this guide was not done at random without regard to veracity.

They know their subjects inside and out, plus they have true passion for the region or wouldn't have opted to make a career of sharing its highlights and local color with travelers like you and me.

Often, guides turn out to be not only experts but frequently hold advanced college degrees in the subjects they cover.

Of course, it is the visceral connection with the essence of the regions you've only seen in movies or read about it books, which as wonderful as they may be are nonetheless only shadows.

Where have you always dreamed of going?

While you may not be ready to board a plane or cruise tomorrow, we should all have bucket lists of places we've always wanted to visit or return.

Anticipating a future trip is part of the fun, and wouldn't it be nice to have a different subject to discuss?

You know, instead of that depressing rhyme to "Go Kid!  Wine Scene!"

In recent weeks, you've undoubtedly spoken with many people who say things like they would never take a cruise or airplane again.  Those are generally the same people who rarely if ever traveled before and want to make you believe the shadows are more real than reality.

This is your life.  Don't settle for mere existence in a cave afraid of your own shadows.