The majority of people who call us to reserve a room for a break or an anniversary are dreaming. They are dreaming of a surprise birthday treat for their spouse, a romantic weekend without their children or some long desired time on their own with no outside demands.
Our job, as we have discovered, is not just to try and set the scene for these dreams, but we also have to feed their imaginations and hope during these phone conversations. We are frequently answering questions and listening to their dream weaving for half an hour before we can bid them goodbye. We know they are dreaming because the very same people show up, having declared themselves “outdoor people” for example and spend all of two hours outside and the rest of the time closeted in their room with a movie and the air conditioning running. Couples on a “romantic” anniversary weekend have the most fearful row because one of them is not in tune with the others romantic reverie. They end up eating alone and we become the silent, somewhat embarrassed witnesses to the imploded dream.
The dreaming part of their getaway must in some circumstances be the best part as it sometimes turns out, but we are continually surprised by the difference between what people dream about themselves and their lives, and what is in fact the truth when they show up.
Hope is a powerful thing, but reality is a one way street.
And even if, on the face of it, the dream did come true, would the reality live up to the imagined truth? And that really is what lies at the heart of the human condition.
ReplyDeleteAgh...ergo... Won't get up tomorrow. Will slob abed and dream.
Okay, so where did you find the sign? "Broken Dreams Dr."
ReplyDeleteIt's all about expectations. If we could learn not to have preconceptions about things and just go with the flow (sorry, I actually despise that saying), then we wouldn't have to eat alone and embarrass everyone.