Connecting to Others

Ready for some tea? I am. One of the best feelings about blogging is when someone comes up to me and talks to me about my blog. Maybe they found something funny or maybe it triggered memories from their life. Whatever the reason, I received confirmation that they connected to something I wrote. That impact is huge to a new writer, like myself.

I don't know what you are doing when you read, but I'm typing and drinking. Do you know the mere act of fiddling with something or fidgeting with something gets people to open up? I learned that today at a conference. I always had the feeling that playing games together brought out great conversation. I remember playing games as a youngster. I started with Go Fish. That was probably the first game I learned, then moved to Monopoly, Aggravation, Checkers, Crazy 8, Uno, War, Nerdz and even Risk. As an adult I played many of these games with my family. And we talked. I'm wondering if people even do this anymore. There's so many solitary games out there, usually video games, that I feel the need to connect to others in some way is beginning to vanish.

I've heard kids say how annoying it is when someone calls them on the phone. I say, "What!?" They'd rather have someone text them. In reality texting is much less personal and honestly, not that great of a communication tool. The majority of communication takes place with body language and voice inflection. Texting bypasses all the fun parts of communicating.

But it's not just texting, it's social media, too. Do we fully comprehend what we are communicating with each post, photo, gif? Can we communicate a thought in 140 characters or less? I find it disappointing that less and less people are picking up a phone to talk, really talk to another person. I wonder if today's young people even know how to play a basic board game. If you want to communicate with someone or you need someone to open up, play a game of cards or a board game with them. I think you might be surprised at what you learn. Connecting with others helps us share our humanity. And there's nothing more human that sharing a drink or a conversation. Tell me your favorite ways to connect with others. Until the next cup of tea...