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I wanted to send my first post out into the great void that is cyberspace. This is my first Blog experience, believe it or not! I sometimes feel like I was born during the wrong time period. Technology often baffles me and often makes me feel like we are losing that personal touch that face-to-face communication provides. We could technically go through our entire day without REALLY having to interact with another human being. We hop in our cars at the beginning of the day perfectly protected from other commuters by glass and steel. Then, we stop at the gas pump and fill our tanks by simply inserting a credit card. We leave the petrol station and head to the bank to deposit some cash. All we have to do is insert the bills into a slot and somehow our money ends up where it is supposed to go. Now, it’s off to the office! Yes, there are lots of people there whom we call co-workers, but most of our communication happens over email and instant messaging—even if the guy we’re emailing is in the cubicle next to us, right? Somehow the art and joy of real communication is getting lost in the mix—AND, lost in translation! Have you had that experience where you send an email or a text that you intend as positive– or, at the very least, neutral—but the recipient misinterprets the tone and suddenly drama ensues? It can be quite frustrating and can take hours to resolve. That’s the trouble with this “short-hand” version of human interaction. I love living in a world (and having a job) where I get to engage people in conversation! But, “they” tell me I also need to (at least) try my hand at the communication styles of the twenty-first century—so, let’s get some interesting blog “conversations” going! I also challenge you to reach out to as many people as possible today in a face-to-face scenario. Go INSIDE the gas station and pre-pay. Ask the store associate how his/her day is going and REALLY make eye contact. Strike up a conversation with the lady (or gent) in line in front of you at the grocery store. Take that co-worker you always email (but don’t really know) out to lunch and find out about his/her life. You’ll be surprised by how wonderful you will feel—and by how wonderful you could make someone else feel. It’s a simple way to make your mark on this planet AND make a mark on the life of another human being. I’d love to hear your stories after you try this—especially if you live in a big city! Here’s to trying new things!
Much Love,
Beth
This is so true!!!! The benefits of real life communication will never be able to be substitute…one day a stranger (actually a homeless person on the street) totally made my day just by cracking a joke and smiling at me – he had a huge smile with no teeth! Now, where can that happen to you on the online world?
On the other hand, sometimes I wish people would act in real life the way they act while posting in online social communities – they know that the world is watching so they are very nice to each other, friendly and supporting. Kind of like this post I’m making now
Smile at everyone, they will wonder if your up to something!
Funny, I was at a restraunt a couple of nights ago and there were four teenagers all sitting in a booth together. They all had thier cell phones and were texting or talking to someone else. I wondered why they even bothered to go out to eat together.
We are all communicating more, but are we and at what cost? For every post we make online today, lets all start of an old fashion one as well. Lets see how many smiles we can make.
Is anybody out there? Do other people see me? What is my purpose for being on this planet? “Does anybody really care what time it is?” Blog. Tweet. FaceBook. Can you hold just a minute? Someone is calling in on the other line. TIVO. Email me–email is so last decade. Do you have the BUMP app for the IPhone? All we have to do is bump our wrists and our PDA’s share all our contact info. Did it all start with “I’ll have my people call your people”? We use to tell our diaries our secret thoughts and kept those entries hidden from the world. Now we tell everything we think and show it to the world as fast as we think it. And for those of us who miss you dear Beth, we long for more than the blog. But the Blog will have to do.
Hi Beth!
I totally agree (even though I am guilty of being part of a cyber community to keep in touch with friends).
I often wonder if this is why some of my single friends have a hard time “dating” and “meeting” people. It seems so much harder these days when the first date in person, the old fashioned way, often doesn’t happen until days/weeks/months into the relationship. Human interaction seems like a fading, but not yet lost, art.
Good luck with the blog!
Oh Prudie,…You are such a hopeful romantic. That’s something I’ve always loved about you. As you know I do take part in the art of conversation whenever I can, although it may have already been written for me. I do indeed try to find at least one new person a day to have a short conversation with. It helps to keep the mind young. I hope life and love are treating you well.
Yes, Beth, I am still out here…..but I am kept very busy keeping TVHusband’s spirits up since your departure from NC! As you can see, he is not entirely lucid.
Hi Beth,
The art of converstion is not as important to people now as it use to be. I would venture to say that the internet has made it easier for people who are shy in person to be able to come out more on the net. This way they are not having to be face to face and for some the only way they can communicate. Some people have a hard time talking but not a hard time typing. For me give me the talking and use the typing only when needed.
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also. Keep working ,great job!