The gift of island time and mountain time

The circular bar was busy but not too busy. ere were two bartenders working the bar. Our view was of the beautiful snow-covered mountains as the restaurant was at the top of a ski resort. As the bartenders chatted us all up, we all took in the amazing view of the slopes, the mountain range backdrop and a gorgeous blue-sky day. No rush, service was casual without being too slow. As we enjoyed our break we noticed a man had walked in and stood at the bar looking for a beverage himself. His accent gave him away as being from New York and his body language betrayed his not so good mood. As the bartender approached the man and asked what he would like to drink, the man blurted out, “Two bloody Marys.”

As the bartender started making the drinks, the man started assertively tapping his credit card on the counter, shaking his head and clearly losing his patience as the bartender worked on his drinks. I would have to say, the bartender makes an awesome bloody Mary, and he takes the time to make sure it’s perfect. As the man’s impatience grew, the bartender picked up on the vibe, and without speeding up, he quickly and brilliantly defused the situation, asking the man one question, “I’ll bet it’s nice for you to be on vacation, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and to be up here taking in the snow, the sun and this incredible view.” e man’s demeanor immediately

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com changed. He knew what the bartender had just done, and smiling he said, “ ank you for that, and it’s wonderful to be up here and on mountain time.” I watched as the man took the two drinks back to his table and wife, and as he sat down, taking in a deep breath and gazing out at the magni cence and majesty of his surroundings. is is not about making the excuse for poor or extremely slow service, as that is never acceptable. is is just a gentle nudge and reminder to stop and see the mountains or the vastness of a blue ocean. Not just look at them, but really see them.

If you have ever spent any time in the islands or in the mountains, you can immediately connect with the headline and message of this column. When we can spend time on a beautiful tropical island or in the majesty of the mountains, sometimes things just move a little slower. And that’s a good thing.

It amazes me that some people miss the opportunity to slow down, to ease the pace of the race when they are on vacation. We work so hard to save our money so that we can take a break, get away from the rush and crush of life, and bring ourselves and our family to a tropical paradise or winter wonderland, only to lose our patience, getting upset because the shuttle was ve minutes behind, or the line at the coffee shop wasn’t moving as quickly as we would like. And instead of letting go of the stress we left behind, we bring it with us and get worked up over the silliest and slightest delays.

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