I never thought I’d see the day of telephones connecting us with other people with the touch of thumbs, one if to send, two if by text. I am amazed by the advances in the technology I didn’t understand in the first place. Some of it is really great, like instant talking maps guiding us through a back seat driver who sits in the front. Then there is quick access to information, and a site called Wikipedia, which we know is all true. After all, we read it on the internet! We can share recipes without writing them out. We can send party invitations without stamps. You can ask what time the wedding is going to start, find out it has been rescheduled to two hours earlier, and later realize you now know it is two hours earlier than, uh, what? That is why you sent the text in the first place!
Some of this ten-words-or-less communication is effective and only costs a moment. But I am greedy. I often want more. Yes, it does cost more time, and requires it from both parties (like cell phone service). I think it’s worth it to visit daily or weekly with people that know me and love me anyway as I do the same for them. Talk to me. Call me when you are not driving, or on the way into a meeting, or about to leave the house. Call me when you have time to talk. Share your week. Tell me how you feel. I’ll reciprocate and we will have talked!
Come and see me. I want to look at you, drink you in, see your expressions when you talk, see your expressions when I blabber, and share a hug and a bit of your life. Don’t drop by while you are killing time until a meeting or a date is supposed to start. You don’t focus when your mind has some of itself already out the door. Well, you may stop here to kill time as long as you do the other kind of visiting also. People need people.
When you are away for more than a weekend, write to me! That’s what it is called when you put the pointy end of a pen or pencil on paper. Notebook paper, gift wrap as long as it isn’t tissue paper, ripped up paper bags, greeting cards, and computer paper are all acceptable. Napkins – paper or cloth – coffee filters, paper towels, and toilet paper are not. Then, with pointy end of writing implement still on the paper, form letters into words that let me know how you are doing wherever you are and most of all that you are safe. The time it took to write to me tells me you understand me… and love me anyway… and maybe even miss me a little.
Talk to one another. Build trust, friendship, and even love for one another. Share a bit of yourself with someone. You may get back so much that you will have enough to share some more.
I once talked to a telephone pole. No matter how often or how much I shared, it just stood there like a big stick. I talked to a stream, and it just ran off, babbling the whole time, but not to me. I tried to talk to drying paint, but fell asleep waiting for an answer. No, if you really want to be a caring, sharing human being then be a little daring. Reach out and talk to me.
melodynamic 