Column by Melissa A. Eslinger

“I listen to the river,” Captain Erick Underhill said.

What does that even mean? Is this guy crazy? Is he gaining some sort of insight in a language no one else can speak?

Not quite. He is a man in touch with nature — something very few of us are in this day and age.

Captain Erick Underhill has been a captain of the Valley View Ferry for eleven years and running and seems more content with his job than anyone I’ve come across in a long time.

With technology the way it is and our schedules as packed as ever, who has time to take five minutes to ride across a river on a boat instead of taking three seconds to drive across a bridge?

I may not have been alive in the 1700s when the Valley View Ferry was established, but I think they were on to something.

Too many of us, especially in my generation and those that will follow, have grown up with the convenience of instant gratitude. You need to know the capital of Djibouti? Google it. Instant results. You need to know the easiest way to get to an unfamiliar location? Mapquest it. Instant results. No time to get to a computer to do these things? No problem. Jump on your Blackberry. Instant results.

Stores and banks have even taken the pleasure of making our lives faster with their quick self-checkout lanes and drive-thru tellers. Who has time to make small talk with a cashier or park their car to see their teller face-to-face?

Alright, so we get plenty of things done. There is no doubt about it. Technology advances have made the world an easier and more convenient place. But what have we lost with all of this fast-paced hustle and bustle?

Carrying around 300-400 cars per day, the Valley View Ferry is steadily keeping the charm of human simplicity alive.

“My favorite part of the job is traveling all day and going nowhere,” said Captain Underhill.

Captain Underhill meets all kinds of passengers on his ferry, from tourists, to regular commuters, to grandparents taking their grandchildren for a fun ride.

Connecting three counties, Fayette, Jessamine and Madison, the Valley View Ferry is the oldest continuously operating ferry service in the United States.

Regardless of the ferry’s historical charm, it saves the $50 million  it would take to build a bridge that would save only minutes from those who would drive it.

And it’s right in Lexington’s backyard. Take advantage of the few things left in this country that can make you stop and remember the beauty of the land we inhabit. After all, what’s the rush?