I must start with giving credit where credit is due. A friend of mine,who also writes a great blog by the way,gave me the idea for this commentary. Thank You Barbara !
It began when my friend mentioned how easily we can be misunderstood when writing.Whether it be e-mail or text messages or more rarely these days, a letter. The recipient may read into things that are not our intent. I myself have a tendency to write run on sentences in an attempt to avoid this. Doesn't always work and sometimes I lose my audience. Hard to get to the point sometimes. I hate being misunderstood ! I try to be as clear in my thoughts and the way I express them as possible. Problem is, not everyone thinks the same way I do or shares my sense of humor.
I completely understand what she is saying. I also sympathize with her dilemma. She did suggest that we make actual phone calls to one another where you actually speak with the other person. Radical idea ! I like it. I might even try that one day. Of course I would have to send a text message first to let them know I was calling or they might not answer. I don't usually answer unfamiliar phone numbers anymore. Leave a message if it is important and no I don't want to buy siding.Things are complicated nowadays !
She also mentioned how this could be particularly true in a text message. They do tend to be short and filled with abbreviations. I'm not familiar with all the ones being used so it does lead to some misunderstandings !
Oh the challenges we face in this modern world.
When I arrived at work that day I was thinking about all that. Now,at the grocery store there are young girls that work the register. All in their middle to late teens. They get text messages constantly, a problem at the store, and have to be reminded to not use their cell phones or androids( sounds like star wars) while working.
It is a distraction from work and to the customers.On occasion to leads to some teen drama ! I asked one of them if she ever makes a real phone call to a person. She told me no. She sends them a text to meet her somewhere and then they talk. So basically what I got from that was, if you want to speak with me, make an appointment. Guess we are all too busy to talk anymore. I asked her how often would you say you talk to your boyfriend ? Every day was the response, but she said she sends him a message about every couple hours or so,except of course when working. (right)
This short conversation lead me to tell her about a few things I did as a young guy. I told her about sending my girl a letter and putting the stamp on upside down. She had no clue what that meant. I explained that was code for, I Love You. I told her how a young lady might add her scent to the return letter. She found that amusing. I told her how the letter may have SWAK written across the back. Again, no clue. I told her it was. sealed with a kiss. I also told her the letter might also contain some lipstick kisses ! She thought that might be sweet. She did say she thought she saw that once in a movie. About world war two or something. The assistant manager, a lady about my age was listening in and added a few thoughts of her own. This young lady seemed amused by the fact that us old dinosaurs would have had any love interests ! Like most young people she figured we were born old ! We were never teenagers.
I think it is a shame these young people will not know those joys. Those scented letters we treasured for quite a while. Those letters were also private and personal. A text message just doesn't seem the same to me. Hard to scent too ! I remember sending letters even when we were only gone for a short time. Or sending a postcard from a distant place. Might be as far away as fifty miles or more ! And pictures ! Used to get those pictures in those little booths for fifty cents or a dollar. They were something ! Now just click your phone. Doesn't have the same appeal.
Yes all this from the mention of being misunderstood.I hope you understand what it is I'm trying to say here.
But then again I'm not sure I know either. Well that is why the title random thoughts and memories. These things just come to me. Sometimes the inspiration comes from another. Thanks Barbara.
It began when my friend mentioned how easily we can be misunderstood when writing.Whether it be e-mail or text messages or more rarely these days, a letter. The recipient may read into things that are not our intent. I myself have a tendency to write run on sentences in an attempt to avoid this. Doesn't always work and sometimes I lose my audience. Hard to get to the point sometimes. I hate being misunderstood ! I try to be as clear in my thoughts and the way I express them as possible. Problem is, not everyone thinks the same way I do or shares my sense of humor.
I completely understand what she is saying. I also sympathize with her dilemma. She did suggest that we make actual phone calls to one another where you actually speak with the other person. Radical idea ! I like it. I might even try that one day. Of course I would have to send a text message first to let them know I was calling or they might not answer. I don't usually answer unfamiliar phone numbers anymore. Leave a message if it is important and no I don't want to buy siding.Things are complicated nowadays !
She also mentioned how this could be particularly true in a text message. They do tend to be short and filled with abbreviations. I'm not familiar with all the ones being used so it does lead to some misunderstandings !
Oh the challenges we face in this modern world.
When I arrived at work that day I was thinking about all that. Now,at the grocery store there are young girls that work the register. All in their middle to late teens. They get text messages constantly, a problem at the store, and have to be reminded to not use their cell phones or androids( sounds like star wars) while working.
It is a distraction from work and to the customers.On occasion to leads to some teen drama ! I asked one of them if she ever makes a real phone call to a person. She told me no. She sends them a text to meet her somewhere and then they talk. So basically what I got from that was, if you want to speak with me, make an appointment. Guess we are all too busy to talk anymore. I asked her how often would you say you talk to your boyfriend ? Every day was the response, but she said she sends him a message about every couple hours or so,except of course when working. (right)
This short conversation lead me to tell her about a few things I did as a young guy. I told her about sending my girl a letter and putting the stamp on upside down. She had no clue what that meant. I explained that was code for, I Love You. I told her how a young lady might add her scent to the return letter. She found that amusing. I told her how the letter may have SWAK written across the back. Again, no clue. I told her it was. sealed with a kiss. I also told her the letter might also contain some lipstick kisses ! She thought that might be sweet. She did say she thought she saw that once in a movie. About world war two or something. The assistant manager, a lady about my age was listening in and added a few thoughts of her own. This young lady seemed amused by the fact that us old dinosaurs would have had any love interests ! Like most young people she figured we were born old ! We were never teenagers.
I think it is a shame these young people will not know those joys. Those scented letters we treasured for quite a while. Those letters were also private and personal. A text message just doesn't seem the same to me. Hard to scent too ! I remember sending letters even when we were only gone for a short time. Or sending a postcard from a distant place. Might be as far away as fifty miles or more ! And pictures ! Used to get those pictures in those little booths for fifty cents or a dollar. They were something ! Now just click your phone. Doesn't have the same appeal.
Yes all this from the mention of being misunderstood.I hope you understand what it is I'm trying to say here.
But then again I'm not sure I know either. Well that is why the title random thoughts and memories. These things just come to me. Sometimes the inspiration comes from another. Thanks Barbara.
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