Sincerely I

Technology has made our world so insincere. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy keeping up with friends and family long distance on Facebook or Skype. Sometimes when life gets too busy, a quick text message is always the easier route until you can make time. But what about when we forget to make time or we've replaced real interactions with text messages, emails, or i-chatting simply because its there?

I've had a cell phone since 1999 and a pager before that and to-date i have more electronics than i know what to do with. On a daily basis I text, email, tweet, Facebook, blog, BBM, and any other source of communication I can find to connect with the world except for making a phone call. This is the case with most of our society too. What happened to the days when you used to "reach out and touch someone". That expression means so much more today than it ever meant back in the day as a phone company slogan. When i pick up the phone and call my aunt, an old friend, my sister, or even my dad it is a touching experience on both sides. You find out all sorts of junk, good and bad about folks when you call them. How many times have you found out something and said to a person why didn't you tell me and their response was something like it was too long to text or I didn't want to send it in an email. And they decided to wait until you made time for them to tell you what was really going on. What if that "time" never came and you or they were gone tomorrow. We think its cute now and days that our parents can text us, but its not. Im ashamed to say i taught my Daddy how to BBM me.

And what about the youth? Sad but true is the fact that we as a society are leaving this as an example for the next generation. Im sure we all know a kid under the age of 13, make that 10, that owns a cell phone. My nieces don't have one but you better believe they no how to pick up that phone and touch the screen and slide those little fingers back and forth imitating us on our touch screens. Parents use the "for emergency only" excuse which is bull... I'll be nice, it's disappointing. At school they have your work or cell number on file for emergencies and when the kids are out playing you tell them to have their butts home before dark. It's lazy parenting and really not a winning reason in my book. I know i don't have kids yet but i pray that i stick to my roots on this topic. When i was growing up we didn't have a key to the front door and if you dared to come home after dark you'd be finding a new place to sleep that night.

The most disturbing thing with this fascination for "phony bologna" communication is that you never know if you're communicating with a real person. Obviously you're chatting with a human but is that their true personality you're getting or some made up character they want to portray. I can attest that I'm a punk and if you want to really know if I'm happy or sad spend some time talking to me on the phone or looking into my eyes. You'll see the truth because i where everything on my sleeve, but if you let me get away with it i'll surely fool you via text message. I am guilty of using technology to mask my pain and portray a happier person at times. The more i started to think about why i became a technology whore i realized that the people I interact with most may be the same way. Masking their true emotions, their true character, and giving some other person they want the world to see and who wants to deal with that? I don't enjoy playing the real or not guessing game, how about you? Don't you want to know with confidence that you're dealing with the real person and not a fake?

I certainly do, so i have to lead by example.
- That means no emotional conversations via text message, words can always be misinterpreted. Do you really want to explain yourself a second time if you already poured your heart electronically?
- If I happen to text someone and get an indication that something is wrong or even if there is big news to be told, I'm picking up the phone and calling.
- When an old friend or loved one crosses my mind, I will do my very best to call right away. Sometimes thats God giving you signs that something is about to happen, so listen to him.

That's a good start for now. So how can you be a more sincere person today? Im sure it's much easier to send a message than dial a person, but nothing worth having or doing is ever easy.

Peace y'all!

Sent from my iPad