Paul has checked in with Clarissa at La Luna Italian Restaurant and is now Mayor there and is listening to Billy Joel Playlist on Spotify #ihopethispostislessthan140characterssoicanpostitontwitter.
This morning I was walking to work and listening to music and Billy Joel’s Songs from an Italian restaurant came on. It got me to thinking back to a simpler time in my life… 2009. Or as I like to think of it 2009 BF(before facebook) . Remember when you would be at a store or just walking around and you would run into an old friend on the street. You know, someone you use to talk to be friends or acquaintances with and as happens in life , you just lost touch along the way. Back then you would make some time on the spot and talk, maybe even carve out some time to grab coffee or even plan a dinner. You’d exchange numbers ( or if the decision has been made that maybe this person is someone you’re not interested in getting reacquainted with you write the number down and lose it) , show each other some pictures you actually had developed (no really people had pictures you could actually touch) , talk about people you both use to know and discuss the last time you had seen them, who got fat, who got skinny.
Fast-forward to today. You run into the same person. You say hi and then go about adding each other on Facebook right there through your mobile phone.( or if you don’t really want to add them you say your phone is messed up and you will add the when you get home.)And then you just go about the rest of your day. When you get home you go and look through their friends and add the ones you knew but didn’t have. And maybe you post a “hey it was nice to see you” on their wall or twitter.
paper and some ink will go a long way.
Every generation goes through this. The supposed loss of that personal touch. The evolution of this is actually pretty ironic. We now post on people’s ” walls” or tweet them or message them, we used to text them, we used to email them, we used to call them on a cell or page them , we used to call their house, we used to write them a letter, we used to go to their house to see if they were there, we used to all gather around the fire in our village and talk , we used to make grunts and tweeting sounds at each other. And we used to write messages on walls… Real walls in caves. So in a way we have kind of come full circle.
some cave drawings seem more modern than you would expect 😉
Have we truly lost the personal touch through technology or have we just made it more valuable. I know for me I have completely enjoyed the ability to reach out to friends and acquaintances through technology and have actually strengthened some acquaintances into some of my stronger friendships. But try to think back to the last time you received a handwritten letter. How did it make you feel having a friend write to you and take the time to send it to you. When was the last time you sent a letter? How often do we send a text or a message when both people could actually take the time and talk on the phone but just choose to stick to typing? How many times do you read a text and not quite get something because you’re not sure of the tone it was sent with (I personally believe there should be a “sarcastic font” so people know when your being sarcastic… No really I believe that.. See if there was a sarcastic font you would know I was serious!!)
A challenge and an adventure ..With the holidays upon us we all send out holiday cards and sign them, maybe even put a quick hello in it. It’s so traditional that it almost loses the impact. So here’s my challenge to anyone who reads this. Go to your favorite social media site and look at your contacts list. Write a letter to one of them, maybe the next person that likes your next post or the person you have known the longest or the shortest , call a different person from your contact list and have a nice chat , invite a different person you know out… Maybe to an Italian restaurant ..Happy Holidays to you all and I hope you all have a great time reconnecting with old friends and family in that place the call “the real world” .
texting on rotary phones must have been insane…
A Texican In New York 