Yo. Talk to Me.

Instant messaging........e-mail..........voice-mail............cell phones.........fax machines......the internet.

Instant communication. Instant gratification.

Say what you want, when you want, to who you want. Now.........

Wow.

Communication has come so far.

But with all of the instant communication going on, why is it that so many people don’t feel connected? Have we lost the art of simple, hand-written communication?

I used to write people hand-written letters all of the time. As my life got more complicated and as typing and word processing became more accessible, I found that I just didn’t have time to sit down and hand-write a letter anymore. I mean, why write something by hand at 12 words per minute when you can type it at 90 words per minute and instantly e-mail the letter pretty near anywhere in the world?

My life is so hectic that I have instant relationships. E-mail me this. Direct connect me when you get this. Send me the fax now. Check my e-mail. Check my voice-mail.

How many of you receive the Christmas letter that is done on a word-processor and sent out to everyone. Some have pictures and look like they were professionally published. A kind of family history of the past year. You get to keep up with people, but it is not personal. You see, writing letters that are personalized to each and every person would take too long, and no one wants to take up that kind of time when you can write one letter and mass-mail it to all of your friends and family.

When is the last time you received a hand-written letter? I can’t remember the last time I sent a hand-written letter, but I do remember receiving one. It’s funny. The impact of that hand-written note was so much greater than the ton of instant communication that overwhelms me each day. To know that someone out there cared enough about me to sit down and write a letter, address the envelope by hand, and put it in the mail made a huge impact upon me.

It also convicted me. The time spent hand-writing an instant letter demonstrates to the reader that they are worth more than simply an instant e-mail or fax. The personal touch of taking time to communicate with another can itself make communication more gratifying. I will be writing more hand-written notes and letters....if nothing else, as a way to show my friends and family that I value them enough to take time out of my day to send them a personal greeting.

The gratification will not be instant, but it will be satisfying.

Blawgerman