So…I came to a kinda cool (maybe?) realization?
“WHAT?!” You ask.
Shhh. I’ll tell you.
Some of you may know, my dad died recently. And I tell you this, because it’s important to the tale I’m about to tell. Maybe it’s not a tale. Maybe it’s more of a … stream of consciousness thought process… but whatever. You get the gist. If you read my blogs, you know anything goes.
SO. Here it goes.
I’ve come to the recent realization that we have once again become a society of the written word. It sounds so elegant, doesn’t it? The written word? The days before the telephone, the telegraph… people had to write letters and wait more than a month for a reply… We spoke with our hearts, and poured them out through fountain pens and stamps. The written word has made a resurgence!
Is it so strange, that history is repeating itself, but with electronic signatures and keystrokes?
People have gone away from the spoken word and reverted back to the safety behind the ink. (Or, the e-ink, and screens.) We have risen with the age of technology. Smart Phones. Texting. And with that… the written word. It's ridiculous and an oxymoron of sorts: all the technology in the world, yet: LOL and WRYD is a common turn of WRITTEN speech. (Sigh.)
Turns out, there have been multiple studies done, and people actually show their true selves when they text. (i.e. when they WRITE.) Why? I dunno. Here’s my take: We feel safe behind the screen, so we reveal ourselves. How many times, as individuals, have we walked up to someone and gone blank? Stuttered. Foot in mouth. We hold back, whether social cues or because of own insecurities, we refrain and hide. It is human nature. Unless of course, you are the rare outgoing, one in a million, who doesn’t have a care in the world (Yes, we know you’re out there), and say what you mean and mean what you say on the first try. IN PERSON. (Round of applause and riotous cheering!)
For some of us… or many of us… until we reach a certain age of understanding, it is a unique thing. (And, back in the day, i.e. our 40s ---- we were all dead, or dying of the influenza. Or small pox. Or something. So yeah… by the time we came of age to say what we mean, we were dying.)
So. We speak. And we write. And as annoyed and infuriated and agitated as I am at the “texting lingo” and lack of social skills of our youth that I have today… I am also thrilled… because our world has once again, fallen in tune (and dare I say , in love?) with the written word.
Now… I stress to my kids that speaking and communicating, IN PERSON , is a skill and highly important. I tell them HOW to talk to people, to use manners, body language and verbal communication. If someone is checking you out and/or servicing you at a retail or food establishment, PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN. If you are speaking with someone, PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN. Be in the moment of whatever or whomever that is. ALWAYS. It is the present. SO Be there. Be an active participant.
But, I am quite aware of the impact that the written word has had on our society.MY GOSH, I AM A WRITER!!! PEOPLE ARE USING WORDS!!! YES!! Use your words!!! In any way possible! TEXT! WRITE!
And Then.
I found the voicemail.
The voicemail left by dad. Who died March 1, 2018.
It was a voicemail he left in the summer, months before, long forgotten, and completely missed, because we live in a society of texting and instant gratification. In fact, if I saw I missed a call, I merely called them back later that day or the next. Why bother to listen to the voicemail? Ooops! I missed the call as it came up on my phone. I’ll call them back.
And I did.
Always.
The number reminded me. I just swiped it away, and a few minutes, or hours later that day, I called and said, “Hey! I saw I missed your call! I didn’t listen to your message, but I wanted to call back right away. What’s up?”
And then the conversation continued. And this is how it went with my dad. And he repeated what he had left in the message to me, and I smiled, and we chatted, and all was right with the world. (Usually.)
But one day, you won’t get to hear the words from the person you want to hear from.
And yes, texting, and the written word is GREAT. I actually think it’s fantastic that we have almost gone back in time in terms of connecting with people on a written level.
But.
That person’s voice? The one whom you love? Those inflections? They will be gone one day. Cherish them both.
Write. And SPEAK.
Communicate in any way you know how. Because the people who cherish you and value you, will embrace that.
I guess what I’m saying is:
Use your VOICE. In any means necessary. At all times. WRITE the words you want say. Write the words You aren’t brave enough to say. And SAY the words you want to SAY.
Be brave. Love. Speak Truths. But be KIND. There are always ways to be kind in what you say.
Your words will follow you, even after you die. Your truths will be remembered.
SO SAY THEM.
click to listen. ❤️
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