Communication

There is probably nothing as frustrating as trying to communicate accurately and timely.  My earliest memories of communicating are face to face.  This is probably the most effective, but is also fraught with problems.  I do not remember ever being without a telephone in our home.  (We did experience that when we were in Glacier National Park.)  I don't remember anyone spending very much time on the telephone, probably because we were on a party line, and my mother claimed she did not like to talk on the phone.  Letters from people who lived in other places were our usual way to keep in touch.  A telegram, while rare, was a source of great excitement and a tinge of fear.  Stanley would send a telegram to let us know he was back in the states on furlough during WWII, but it was also feared it brought bad news.  One telegram let us know he had been injured when his submarine was hit by a torpedo.  Almost every mode of communication back then left one feeling a gap: not enough detail, not clearly stated, not frequently enough, etc.

How far we have come!  How many people do we know that still don't have a cell phone, a computer, and a number of other high tech devices?  I personally have benefitted from using a cell phone and the computer.  I would say that they have aided in better communication.  There still are gaps, however.  Batteries run out at inopportune times.  Messages are delivered in a new kind of shorthand that not everyone can decipher. (OK maybe it's just me!)  Some devices have actually hindered communication.  Ipods, earphones hooked up to any device, keep one from being able to interact with others.  Furthermore, these in-ear devices are contributing to hearing loss which interferes greatly with communication.

Communication itself is full of misfires.  What one means to say is not always conveyed to the receiver.  We don't always give feedback that lets others know what we heard so that they can correct any misunderstandings.  We often are not good listeners or good intuiters(reading between the lines).  I think these things have been and will always be.

My specific complaints are:  "sound bites" on facebook, delays because people do not check or even read their email, conversations interrupted by phone calls and texts, people who do not return calls when needed, and our hurried lifestyles which leave little time for quality interaction.  I suppose that no matter how sophisticated we become we will always have gaps in our communication.  You are probably experiencing that reading this missive!