SENTINEL WATCH February 8, 2010 Issue

MAKING TRUE CONNECTIONS

SARA HOAGLAND HUNTER

"CONNECTING" IS A HOT TOPIC— whether in the context of making a connection in a relationship, or establishing a good Internet connection. Movies, such as top Golden Globe nominee Up in the Air, point to the issue of virtual versus face-to-face connections. George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizer who prides himself on a connectionfree life. His only attachment is to his elite travel program, and his goal to travel ten million business miles. But this quest for independence morphs into a question mark when he falls for a fellow traveler. At the same time, he is forced to examine the implications of a technology that is making his need to travel obsolete. Ironically, he finds himself articulating the importance of the human touch, not only to the woman he loves but to a co-worker who favors doing their work through videoconferencing, as well as to a future brother-in-law experiencing cold feet at the altar.

MUTUAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CORE GOD-GIVEN QUALITIES IS THE KEY TO ENDURING AND INSPIRING CONNECTIONS.