Modern Day Communications - Plus Update On My Knee~

Now for some thoughts on modern day communications.

 

For sometime now I have been frustrated with how  we communicate with one another. In my era we had telephones and at first there were  party lines.

This meant that your neighbor's were also on your line. Therefore, if they were on a call and you pick up the phone to make a call; you couldn't because they were talking on the phone. It also meant that others may be listening to your calls.
Of course as technology has improved we now have cell phones that we can take with us.

We can receive calls as long as we are in an area that has service. One wonderful thing about this is that you can make an emergency call anytime  and almost anywhere from your cell phone. I think it is wonderful that you can now connect to your children anytime and almost anywhere if they have cell phones.

I  love Skype.

What a blessings it is to be able to make a Skype call and actually talk with and see one another. We have used Skype to celebrate birthdays and other holidays. We have actually been able to celebrate birthdays and see our grandchildren blow out the birthday candles and sing Happy Birthday with them all.
Before all of this technology we used the mail to send letters, cards, and notes to our loved ones and friends. This was a fun because you could hardly wait to receive a letter in the mail. When my husband was on his two year Church mission in Northern California;  I would go out to the mailbox everyday to see if there was mail from him. Also, when my children were on missions we would write weekly letters to them and I would be out at the mailbox everyday looking for a letter back from them.

These letters are kept and cherished. 
As the nurse in the Spokane Washington Mission I was often in the office when the Elders and Sisters in the area would come in to pick up their mail.They loved getting letters and packages.
We can now use email to easily communicate with family and friends. Missionaries can now email with their family and friends. The mission rules are that you can only do email once a week. I still think missionaries like a handwritten letter once in  a while.
The other day I was going through some boxes of letters and found some from my mother who passed away in 2006. I cried so hard. I miss her so much and just seeing her handwriting started me off with more tears. I would love to just hear her voice and my father's voice too.  I am grateful for those precious letters because they connect me to her.
Yes, today's technology is wonderful in so many ways. We have instant communication. However, I think it has taken away the personal one on one moments. Email is one way of course for writing a letter; but receiving a letter or note in the mail is much more personal. Face book is a great place to see posts about anything. Sometimes, I would rather not see some of the things that are posted on face book. Also, with chatting and back and forth communication on face book;  you can't get the whole story. You only get bits and pieces of a conversation. It is wonderful for wishing a Happy Birthday to family and friends. However, it has taken away those sweet phone calls to family and close friends on their birthdays. I am sure many of us still make those precious telephone calls.
Recently, my grandson and his dear wife had our first great grandson. I told him that he was to call me on the phone with the information about the birth and I did not want to find out about it on face book. He was wonderful and did call me.
At this point my children and my older grandchildren text all the time. My husband and I don't text because it takes us too long to do it. I guess with practise we could learn; but I think it is the most shallow of all communications. You can't lay out all the thoughts and feelings behind the words. Therefore, it can be misinterpreted easily. I have even witnessed two family members texting each other in the same house. How in the world can you really communicate with one another this way.  It really is beyond me.
I do love modern day communication. I am amazed at and love the Internet. I like many aspects of face book; but I do think it isn't as fun as a phone call. I wish that there were more phone calls, letters and notes with less emails, face booking and texting with those you love.
OK, I do love blogging. I love the comments. I feel very close to many of you that comment on my blogs. I love reading your thoughts and making comments on your posts. I really feel you are my friends. I desire with all my heart to meet you all someday.  However, I do wish I could extend the conversations beyond what can be done on a blog comment. Just know that I have learned so much from all of you through your blogs.

Thanks to all of you that asked how I was doing after my knee was injured. Here is the update on that. First of all I am so tried of keeping my leg propped up and ice on my knee.

 I hate using a cane. I have had to slow down which is not something I like to do. I have a arthroscope scheduled for Friday. I have a Meniscus tear and a Baker's cyst behind my right knee along with arthritis on both sides worse on the right side. My knee cap is almost bone on bone; so that will be a later surgery down the rode.
Right now the plan is to remove the cyst. and repair the meniscus tear. The total recovery time will be about 2 weeks. I will be continuing to keep my leg up and iced. I will be on crutches for a few days.
 I have used crutches before and learned a lot about being handicapped. First lesson learned while using crutches is that you cannot get into the fridge easily. I must have my food, ice cream, of course and lots of chocolate some of which needs refrigeration. Perhaps, I will lose some weight that would be a plus or my dear husband will run back and forth with what I want.
Love to you all!