June 1, 2020
Wendy Burk + John Knob
Here in San Diego, when the calendar turns to June, the next word that usually follows is “gloom.” It’s the phrase on everyone’s lips. If you’ve never heard of or experienced this, there is a curious thing that typically happens here with our weather in June that results in cloudy skies and cooler weather just about every morning. It’s the opposite of what you’d expect “summer” to look like, especially in a place like Southern California with its reputation for having essentially perfect weather all year round. But June Gloom arrives anyway, and we must go through it.
It would be irresponsible of me not to address the extreme sadness, anger, pain and frustration being played out in the hearts and minds of so many – a visceral pain that is once again spilling into the streets of our cities, our communities and even being played out in conversation around our dinner tables…as well as it should. There is not a single citizen who should feel unaffected by this moment in time because there is an entire population that feels obscured by clouds, mired in gloom, unseen. This is happening again, right now. This is not some bygone era, a page in a worn out history book. This is June 1st, 2020. Once again, we are all in June’s Gloom, buried under a layer of clouds. Clouds that obscure truth. Clouds that obscure justice (and injustice). Clouds that obscure hope and dignity and freedom.
The truth is, we are all struggling, still. I’m saying it out loud. I’m acknowledging it and owning it. It’s ok to say the things that need to be said. Now, more than ever, we need to care.
Caring is what we do here at Cadence. It’s our thing. It’s not a gimmick, a quick-fix solution or a marketing plan. It’s a unifying and collective response from a community of people who are passionate about doing good things for other people. Most of the time, we’re talking about travel. We’re applying it to a customized itinerary, or a special perk. We’re looking out for someone’s wellbeing on the road, ensuring that our people get to where they are going safely, and feel looked after the entire time. We talk about duty of care, experience and service because they’re all a part of our world. That’s just the specifics of what we do. But caring for us at Cadence can and should be way more than that. To us, duty of care, experience and service should mean caring for everyone we can reach.
This is what it means to care. We are the stewards of the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Always.
In the world of travel, we are the caretakers of the universal idea that meaningful connection can only happen when you seek it out. We are responsible for teaching others that the world is rich and beautiful and filled with a rainbow of colors to explore, and a rainbow of people to be embraced, adopted and loved. It’s our job to teach that it’s not the temples that make Thailand so special, but the Thai people. That what makes a safari incredible isn’t the lodge or the jeep tour, it’s the warm heart of Africa that beats in its people. That when you cross the border into Mexico, it’s not the food or the beaches that will draw you in, but the generosity and kindness of the Mexican people. It’s Aloha, Welcome, Bienvenu, Marhaban, Welkom, Namaste, and so many others – all meaning the same thing.
We know. We know for a fact that this is the spirit, that this is the gift of travel. We know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the beauty of our world lies solely in our capacity to love and embrace and to be loved and embraced in return. If you’re not looking at travel through this lens, then you’re probably not able to see what’s happening here at home from this vantage point either. And you really should, because it’s one and the same.
There’s hope, but it lies in us to find within ourselves. We have to foster it and nourish it and encourage it to grow. Then teach it.
What I’ve learned from many years of experiencing June Gloom is that behind every morning cloud, behind the gray and the cold, the sun lies waiting. And the sun is bright, and it’s warm and it’s powerful. The sun is the truth and it will burn through those clouds in time. And when the sun shines again it feels brighter than before. It feels new, different. It feels warm and welcoming. It feels much more like the world that we all say we want to live in. June Gloom gives us the opportunity to appreciate all of the ups and downs that our precious lives afford.
We can be the clouds or we can be the sun. Today, and every day, be a ray of light. Be a beacon of peace. Be the sun in someone else’s life and burn through the clouds of obscurity. Choose to be kind. It’s the one choice that eliminates so many others, and the only one that is universally applicable.
And when you get the chance to talk about travel, to plan that next trip or help someone plan theirs, remember what makes it all so special. People. Colorful, diverse and beautiful.