Real vs Virtual

It might sound funny, but lately there seems to be much discussion regarding the spoken word versus messenger and texting. The world definatly is a changing. Now in my life, there are people that I text daily. It is sort of like having them by your side all day. Sort of like old people sitting on a park bench firing random thoughts and questions at each other. Only with texting you can do this from your office, from your car, or from your living room. This is why I like texting, and for the most part messenger is the same.

However, the more I get used to messenger and texting, the less I find myself communicating with people through that old fashion medium of....now wait for it.....talking. Now this is something that must be affectingnot just me, but all of us, as a culture, because I am beginning to notice that I, and many people around me, are slowly losing our people skills and out ability to talk about normal everyday things.

I also realized that I like texting and messenger because there is a secure wall between me and the person to whom I am communicating. It provides a defense from topics I do not like, or issues that I find too imposing....like feelings and emotions...."newman no like". When I am talking with someone face to face and they touch on topics that threaten me, I wish I could just run away, or punch them in the mouth, while with texting I can just shut them out, I like this.

Dyron and I had a conversation about this the other day. He brought up another issue with text, messenger, and internet "friends". And that was accountability. In real life when we hurt someone's feelings, or do something stupid, we have to face the music. If we piss someone off, or get into an argument with a friend, we hopefully have mutual friends whom will act as arbitrators, and slowly the "group" will get it sorted out. However, with online friends, there is little or no accountability, becuase the community is held together by "virtual" strings. People can log into your life, piss you off, and then just log off. You have no way of reconciling with them, or dealing with the problem. Instead you just pass it off on someone else. Someone unconnected, and no doubt that person will be left feeling abused, or missused as well.

So where am I going with all this. Well for starters I am going to try to only text people, with whom I also have a friendship with in the "real world". It is ok to text someone everyday, but you must also make an effort to "talk", go to lunch, or have a cocktail with that person on a regular basis. So, if some of you have noticed that I have stop texting you, it doesnt mean i dont want to be friends, it means I would prefer a phone call, or a visit....and by phone call I dont mean a phone call at 4am when you should be in bed. I have also decided to turn off my messenger for a few weeks.

Well that was pretty much a bunch of babble, but somewhere in that pile of words is something I wanted to get off my chest. I hope everyone is doing well. "Talk" to you soon