I was talking with our old friend Curt Johnson yesterday. Curt and his wife Ann are raising a great family in Indianapolis. Well, actually it's a suburb of Indianapolis and that may mean something to them but to the rest of us way out here it's Indianapolis. As a single guy, Curt spent a lot of years here in Arizona and most of those on our back patio where we solved many of the ills of the world.
We were talking about blogs and Curt - one of the brightest guys I know - had this insightful question; since I've been blogging do we hear less from our friends around the country? Great question. In other words, Curt says he used to call more but now all he has to do to check on us it to pull up my or Amanda's blog. This made me start thinking about the trade off we are making as we progress into this techno information age. Look at all the ways we communicate with each other. We can text, tweet, facebook, e-mail, and blog. Oh yeah, if we remember we can actually call. From anywhere at anytime. We can take calls in the middle of the movie, or the middle of the church service, at the funeral, or during family dinner time. I mean it is great technology ain't it!
But, what's the down side. When's the last time you received a long letter from someone you care about. Carol and her Mom and Sister were going through letters from great and great, great grandparents. People moving from Texas to Illinois in the nineteenth century. Can you imagine how exciting that was for them to have family history unfold in the actual words of ancestors? But, where are your kids going to store your tweets for future generations to read? And, I don't know about you, but I can communicate much more effectively if I'm writing. But I'm as guilty as the next guy. I have written a letter in years.
And, I'm not sure I get the texting thing. I mean, I do it but I'm not sure I get it. Why not just call? Oh, I know, with texting you can postpone your response, and you don't have to interrupt what's going on by answering. But I've never seen anyone not look at the phone when receiving a text. And, I know you kids can text like the wind but Amanda congratulated me when I responded to her text with more words than just "ok".
I guess it is all great and I along with everyone else will use the technology and benefit from it but all the same I'd rather have some face time with Curt on the patio. Or at least a letter.
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Sam, as requested here is some feedback. I believe part of the texting, facebook, and tweeting thing is dependant on several factors of which one is age and possibly stubbornness, although I am sure there is a more accurate definition than stubbornness this one comes to my find first.
ReplyDeleteI do not text, facebook or tweet. I pick up the phone and call someone when I want to talk with them. I wish I could base this on age but my wife, Ann, facebooks and is texting with both our boys all the time. I simply don’t find it to be a rewarding way to communicate. I like to talk, however, if in the case of Sam and this blog, if you are an exceptional writer, which Sam is, he keeps me informed with this site. It is now up to me to make sure I return the benefits to him and make sure he knows what is going on with us, which is why I picked up the phone and called last night, only to get his voice mail. Oh well, I guess I could have texted him, but no; I'll just call back while I am on the road this week.