Well, ten days of travelling from state to state to state. Moving sofas, playing nanny to Carter, seeing movies, going to Relief Society Enrichment night in another ward, reading, finding myself with my van car seats in three different states,etc. The list goes on.
I have to commend the boys for taking care of the house so well. Things were pretty much in o.k. shape when I returned. Good job guys!
I realized, again, how much I hate unpacking and putting things to rights after a trip. I also realized how important it is to stay in touch with family members no matter how far away they are. Like my friend Lisa, my children are spread all over the nation and sometimes all over the planet. Weekly phone calls, cards, remembering birthdays, Facebook, emails, etc. are all wonderful ways to keep in touch. As children grow up and leave these tools become even more valuable. So in that vane I got a new cell phone, one that allows me to text message easily. So as I take my next step into the world of modern technology I began to wonder, is this really the direction we want our lives to go? Or is it just silly to fight the inevitable? Will we continue to develop psuedo ways of communication like email and texting and really think that they will take the place of a good old fashioned phone call, hand written letter or personal visit? In ten years will we spend more time with the ones we love or less, because we think a quick text message is communication?
I have breakfast with a dear friend of mine at least once a week, unless one of us is traveling. Now that is communication! Talking out our concerns, sharing laughs and even at our distingushed age, giggles. Planning shopping trips and movie dates. We share our memories and our futures together. Can any of this be accomplished via texting or Facebooking? As the technology speeds up our ability to communicate I have to wonder...are we really communicating at all?
As for me, I will use the technology to send quick messages and jokes but, I will also continue to plan visits to loved ones that live far away and even those who live a bit closer. I am convinced that while the technology allows us to keep in touch, it does not allow us to be in touch. It cannot replace the soft touch of my daughter's hand over the breakfast table, the smack talk with my son in law over football, the sweet moments I have share with my daughter in law and son over shared meals and pedicure appointments. It cannot replace the motorcycle ride my eighteen year old shared with his big brother. It cannot replace the simple conversations I have shared with each of my children in person, being able to try and read body language and facial cues that I have seen since their childhoods. Nope, I like technology but real person to person contact is still the only real way to make and maintain a connection with people. Facetime...not Facebook time is really the most important and best way to communicate with each other.
