Communication

I'm going to state the obvious when I say communication is imperative to successful relationships. Be they at work, school, home or just about every activity known to mankind. However, why is it that we humans suck at it?

It is the one skill humans fall short on time and time again. Or do we?

I'm an extrovert so communicating comes easy for me, I enjoy it and find stimuli in conversations. On the other hand, my wife is an introvert and can enjoy a simple quiet day without speaking a word. Yet, early in our relationship, we communicated enough to get to know each other and eventually marry. Today we share the most fulfilling relationship in either of our lives. And we got here by communicating.

I'm not taking about simply using words but in understanding why and what made each other tick. We asked questions and offered explanations as to how to interact with one another. We took the time and made the effort to communicate.

You and I can talk all day long and have the most pleasant time but not communicate.

Technically, we did but in reality we didn't. And that's ok in a casual setting but in our most intimate relations, we must communicate.

Today we have lots of ways to contact one another. Email and texts come to mind because we lose translation in those methods. Yes, technically those are ways to communicate but to me communication involves voice inflection, body language and facial cues. And neither text nor email offer the chance to truly communicate.

Don't take me wrong, I'm not against texts or emails but if you really want to get to know someone? First, pick up the phone and talk, then once you graduate from "talking", we have the technology to communicate via computer. And then you can really get to communicate.

Someone I love very deeply inspired me to write this. This "someone" is an introvert and she's been in contact with a long lost relative, who also happens to be an introvert.

And when I see their texting it warms my heart because I am reminded of communications I once had with a deceased brother. It drives me nuts because I would have dialed the number and called already but they are doing their "communicating" at their own speed and I have to respect that.

By now you could guess that I'm inspired by my beloved wife. And that lost relative is her sister. I'm rooting for them both to develop a life long relationship. They both deserve it.

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Colossians 4:6