I was thinking about this old commercial this morning while I was sitting at the pediatric dentist, playing Sudoku and checking Facebook on my phone while texting clients and scheduling appointments on our Google calendar for the husband. I love my phone. I really, really do. I am more than a little skeptical of people who tell me they don't love their really cool phone. Maybe I am jaded because I spent six months texting on an ancient flip phone I unearthed after the little pumpkin used my last mediocre phone as a combination chew toy/drool rag. Plunking away endlessly at numbers on that flip phone until I finally selected the correct letter assigned to that number... well, it was torturous. And I always loved walking into a store or a client meeting feeling all put together, and then pulling my phone out to silence it. I think I recognized the looks on a couple of the dads-to-be at those meetings: An amusing mixture of, "You've GOT to be kidding me!" and "Poor thing!" I assure you, guys, it was as embarassing for me as it was for you.
My husband took me by the shoulders a few months ago and said those four words I'd been longing to hear: "Go buy a new phone." Armed with my first post-holiday doula check, I went to Best Buy and did just that. It ranked up there with one of the happiest moments of my life. I think I'm almost serious about that, too. But, lest you think I am totally shallow and for sure a dweeb, it did get me thinking about something else, too: How we communicate.
Now, I know that my time is limited right now, as I've got a hospital meeting to go to later on in the evening and my heart will be sad if I don't get out to jump on a horse while the ever-elusive sun is actually shining here in Michigan. I will at least START my thought and maybe finish in the near future.
I enjoy conversations with people, but I must always work on myself to make phone calls. Sometimes it is a lack of energy, wanting to just fire off a couple thoughts via text before I forget. Sometimes it is sheer chaos in the background and a desire to not interrupt my conversations every five seconds with, "Stop hitting your brother with the light saber!" "What has mommy told you about swinging on the chandelier?" Real conversations mean I am probably hiding in my closet somewhere, whispering, and praying the kids will not catch my scent on the air. Real conversations are important, so those are the sacrifices I make for you. =)
I am finding, more and more often, that my clients prefer to communicate via e-mail, which I thought was slowly going the way of the buffalo. Apparently, it seems to be the one way working mothers can hold on conversations without getting in trouble while on the job. Now that I get e-mail on my high-fallutin' phone, I could care less what form communication takes as long as people are contacting me.
Thinking of texting and e-mails, specifically, I've always been told that those are two of the most impersonal forms of communication you can get. I don't feel that way, personally, but I hear some stern voice in the back of my head barking that at me when I open my inbox, ready to compose a message.
More to come, really must gitalong, little doggie. In the meantime, what are your thoughts?
My husband took me by the shoulders a few months ago and said those four words I'd been longing to hear: "Go buy a new phone." Armed with my first post-holiday doula check, I went to Best Buy and did just that. It ranked up there with one of the happiest moments of my life. I think I'm almost serious about that, too. But, lest you think I am totally shallow and for sure a dweeb, it did get me thinking about something else, too: How we communicate.
Now, I know that my time is limited right now, as I've got a hospital meeting to go to later on in the evening and my heart will be sad if I don't get out to jump on a horse while the ever-elusive sun is actually shining here in Michigan. I will at least START my thought and maybe finish in the near future.
I enjoy conversations with people, but I must always work on myself to make phone calls. Sometimes it is a lack of energy, wanting to just fire off a couple thoughts via text before I forget. Sometimes it is sheer chaos in the background and a desire to not interrupt my conversations every five seconds with, "Stop hitting your brother with the light saber!" "What has mommy told you about swinging on the chandelier?" Real conversations mean I am probably hiding in my closet somewhere, whispering, and praying the kids will not catch my scent on the air. Real conversations are important, so those are the sacrifices I make for you. =)
I am finding, more and more often, that my clients prefer to communicate via e-mail, which I thought was slowly going the way of the buffalo. Apparently, it seems to be the one way working mothers can hold on conversations without getting in trouble while on the job. Now that I get e-mail on my high-fallutin' phone, I could care less what form communication takes as long as people are contacting me.
Thinking of texting and e-mails, specifically, I've always been told that those are two of the most impersonal forms of communication you can get. I don't feel that way, personally, but I hear some stern voice in the back of my head barking that at me when I open my inbox, ready to compose a message.
More to come, really must gitalong, little doggie. In the meantime, what are your thoughts?
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