Reality & unreality checkpoints in our everyday ordinary greetings
c. Donald Reinhardt, March 11, 2012
A simple greeting or friendly greeting and encounter can be a moment of significance importance and consequence. Make your communications and connections work well and be the best.
How’s your world today? What “world” you say: personal, town, city, country, the real, whole world? In fact, when you ask any question such as how’s your world, it usually means how are you doing, what’s happening, how is it going? These are important questions and if you really want to hear real and true answers you may actually have to stop, listen and linger for a time to get the true and full response to that question.
However, often we or those we encounter each day are too busy to really care, hear or respond. It was just such a day when someone asked me that question to which I responded uncharacteristically in a negative rather than a positive way and that administrative official who asked the question was obviously not interested in hearing any negative story or any of the negative details. And as he said he was sorry to hear that (whatever “that” was – which he never inquired about) he rushed onward into the rest of his administrative world. That one administrator’s reaction indicated to me that my response was surprising, unwanted, not really of significance or might consume too much time to invite any further inquiry since he did move along without lingering. That is the kind of attitude which I decided was never the right one to have or the right action to take. And, in fact, it serves me to this day as an example and a reminder that if you ask about someone be prepared to listen and be involved in a positive way and, if necessary, continue that conversation now or soon. It is that simple and that complicated at the same time.
Taking time and really listening and communing with people who count are very important
Taking time and listening are two qualities that tend to be sacrificed in modern life and living. Some of us are so busy "Facebooking", “Twittering”, texting, and e-mailing that we really do not have the time to devote to real quality of purpose in our many contacts. Next time ask yourself which persons are of value and importance and who needs more of your time. That’s a good question to ask anytime. Less of some activities and people and more of others of these is always a good thing to consider and think about.
Loving people correctly and well often involves taking some real time to really be with them. Yes, that might be a worthy goal for all of us. So, the next time you are tempted to simply text, Twitter, e-mail or phone think that perhaps less of those activities may be more of something else. Again, real, personal and good communions enrich us all as humans and taking time to be with people who matter is important and very good. We need those real and good person-to-person dialogues and interactions which contribute to our humanity and count in our lives. Of course, there are times when there are no alternatives to anything but electronic or mail communications. These comments are just a few simple thoughts that might help someone today or someday – nothing more, nothing less.
Human communications matter, but not all have the same value.
Photo Credit: Attorney General, State of Washington
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