Come And Talk To Me/ Let's Have A Conversation

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2 ESV
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.  Proverbs 18:13 ESV

We can go through an entire day and do nothing but hear what is said. But listening today is almost a lost art. Hearing is simply sound. Listening is soaking in the conversation and responding in kind. It's said we listen to respond, but I think we hear to respond, because listening requires intent(see 2nd Proverb above).

We are a people who no longer communicate verbally. We text, we email, and if we really like someone, we'll facetime. We are more connected than ever, however the gulf between us, many times is akin to an ocean. We check our phones if they ring and grudgingly pick up to speak. Our preference today seems texting. We can go weeks without hearing a voice via our communication device. Ditto email. There is such a disconnect today(pun intended). Human exchange is almost a thing of the past. Even the elderly are texting. Babies can spend hours face down in their parents devices.

The problem is, the nuances, the tone, none of that comes through on a text. A disagreement via

text does not let one really know the level of disgruntlement, because it is more difficult to gauge in text. Deep conversations can go south quickly through text. Or there is no dialogue at all. Sweetness and light is easily conveyed thru text and email with all the little heart emojis. But the hard conversations suffer greatly.

Why don't we choose to speak verbally to one another anymore? Why are a few key strokes preferable to speaking with someone directly? We argue through text. I learned we quit jobs through text. We share intimate details with others through text. Teachers contact us about our children through text. We break up through text. Or we don't bother to respond at all and ghost the person altogether. If you agree you can get test results through text. TEXT!TEXT!! TEXT!!!

I understand there are a myriad of reasons why people prefer to text. Conversations are ended more quickly. We're busy and don't have the time to devote to certain conversations, especially unpleasant ones. I think texting is good for when you're on the go and don't want to give a stranger admittance into your conversation. I love to hear the smile in someone's voice. Or to confirm plans and hear the excitement and even the disappointment to cancelled ones. We just don't really talk anymore.

When I mull it over, the lack of communication, leads me to believe God is not pleased. He

wants us to communicate with one another. He did give us voices. We could have been mutes. He's

probably like, I gave them voice and they don't use it. Communicating with others makes life more liveable.  Exciting. It's infinitely more exhilarating chatting with someone with no filter verbally than through text. We cheat ourselves out of a lot of good times, I think, with all the texting. It's just sad. We are so disjointed.

Now, full disclosure, I do text. But I also talk with people. I love to talk to the ones who make me laugh. That deep belly laugh you can only get through dialogue. The almost pee your pants gut laughter. I have a couple of friends that take me there, and it's such a blessing, in this stress filled world. Even painful discussions are better through voice. You can hear the comfort in another's voice before they even offer words of comfort. Isn't that preferable to texting? At all? 

So I challenge you die-hard texters to pick up the phone(after you text  them and tell them you're going to phone them- lol) and have a voice conversation. I know you won't regret it. Let's bring back the art of talking. Or maybe my age is showing?

Kupendana
Ninakupenda