A friend of mine gave me this photo and a couple weeks deadline to write a blog post about something that it inspires me to write about, pertaining to my own life. After a week and half of wheels turning in my brain, I had an "ah-ha" moment.
One. That is the number of birthday cards I received in the mail this year. I was given a few by family who I saw today also. This year was a big one. Thirty. I can't say I have been 100% great on sending out cards myself. (Mainly due to the fact that I have been horrible about keeping up with peoples currents addresses and pure laziness due to the convenience of the internet but we will get to that in a moment)
I received card #1 a week early. Most years this occurs and I expect it. Its from my grandmother. She is prepared and never fails to get that card out early every year. Handwritten, signed with love, from her and my grandfather. It touches my heart every time.
Now back to the picture - the inspiration if you are wondering came to mind as I was lying in bed thinking of how the world has changed. In my grand mothers era, there was no internet, hell there was basically the post office and seeing the person in order to get them a card. Now we have E-cards, facebook, twitter, tumblr, etc etc. No matter where you are, you are connected. By cell phone or computer, ipad or any other form of a tablet. Ah-HA! Metal, coils, connected. I have my blog post!
Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE all 100 electronic Happy Birthdays I received today. (via text or any form of internet option used) BUT the one that stood out the most, was that one card. Do you ever feel the way our world has become is so impersonal? In a way yes, in another way it has given us the advantage to keep in touch with people we probably would've lost years ago. (or have lost and been able to reconnect with) I wouldn't have some of my best friends if it weren't for the internet. I'm speaking as far back as middle school too. (That's another long story!)
I spend quite a bit of personal time, checking facebook, reading twitter posts, texting, tweeting, browsing etc. My life is very much intertwined with social networking and texting. I actually have caught myself a few times not paying attention to a conversation because I was reading sometime on my phone. tsk, tsk, tsk. It is even a way to cure boredom or deal with an awkward situation. Have you ever noticed how many people can sit in a room together and just click away at their phones because they can't even just sit there, hands folded in the laps in a room that is silent together? Guilty. Teenagers even "talk" now in a lingo that makes me want to pull my hair out. SMH, FML, OMG, IDK. I can hardly keep up. (Must be the old age kicking in)
Well, here is to connecting people in a more personal manner. Plans are going to be made and real life conversations are going to be had. (ohh and don't get me wrong, you will still see me online. I can't give up an addiction so soon!)
P.S. Don't forget to send those cards. (for whatever reason you'd like) They may just make someone smile.
