Tuesday, October 16, 2012

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!


17 comments:

singing/granny said...

Wow! We have too much in common! I was sad to hear you have to have a scope. But it is over quickly and you will feel much better....eventually. Be nice to yourself. And eat lots of ice cream!!! And get better soon! Hugs to you!!! Melody

Grammy Staffy said...

I really agree with you. I enjoy the modern technology but I also miss the personal communication. I miss getting letters.
I'd rather get a call than a text... But I do appreciate the convenience.

Good luck with your knee. You are in my prayers. Hugs

Denise said...

Enjoyed this post. Prayers continue for your knee, I love you.

Michaela Stephens said...

LeAnn, I'm so sorry to hear about your knee! I suppose I can sympathize in a small degree because I sprained my thumb about 2 weeks ago and that crimped my style a bit. I can just imagine how difficult it must be for you to even get ready for the day! (groan)

These injuries certainly are an opportunity to learn patience, aren't they?

Kendra said...

Totally agree. I do love skype, we just convinced my mom to get it!

Sorry aboot your knee, I hope you feel better soon!

Pitterle Postings said...

Oh, I really hope you are feeling better. I hate crutches, wore them myself for my knee after surgery (and before). I don't think I would care to use them again. Good luck to you and God bless.

Christy Monson said...

Our prayers are with you. Get well soon.

The ultimate in technology is when our granddaughter wanted her father to come upstairs from the basement for dinner, she sent him a text. When my friend came to pick me up for lunch, she didn't get out and ring the door bell, she just called on her cellphone.
Funny, huh!

Debbie said...

I adore Skye and have adjusted well to the changes in the way we communicate with others. If I call my boys, I get zippo, if I text them, they reply immediately. We don't use minutes on our cell phone plan, we need unlimited texting and data, progress!

I have used a walker and a cane! I realized I can make myself a cup of tea, but have no way to get it to the table to sit and drink it. Of course, that applies to many things you need to do! I hope you have lots of help and drugs, the drugs really help!

You left the sweetest comment for me today, many thanks. I am not a photographer, I am just a girl who likes to take pictures. I have never taken any classes but would love to. I have learning and memory issues from the MS, that may hinder me. I am happy it's just a hobby, it keeps the fun in it!

Eve | Inchworm Chronicles said...

LeAnn,

I am right there with you on the blessings and less-desired aspects of email/Skype/Facebook,etc. I also think there is something special about writing and receiving letters and phone calls.

Unfortunately, these also represent a certain set of social skills and graces that a generation are losing because one replaces another, many times.

I think it's a good idea, like you mentioned, to let others know how we wish to be communicated with.

It reminds me how my husband always admired his great grandmother for admonishing him to remove his baseball cap at the dinner table! Some things change, and some things don't. Hopefully the older generation passing on their wisdom won't change, nor the younger one paying attention to it!!

At my house, just as I am making the effort to teach my kids their manners, I take care to model and teach them to connect with their grandparents through blogs, phone calls, and Skype and we do call for birthdays and send birthday cards and letters. I love letters and others do too! I want my kids and grand kids to connect with me when they are far away and I hope my teaching them now will ensure that will happen later.

I hope more parents consider the next time they sign in to their favorite social networking sites that our own patterns and habits are forming the way our children and the next generation will communicate. With the advent of new tech, we need to hold onto the best of the last generation's ways of communicating, or it may be lost. And what a loss that would be! I treasure that personal connection, when we are far away.

Last, I am so glad to have met you online. Without blogs, there are so many great people I would have missed getting to know this way. I hope more people my age will come to realize the opportunity for friendship and connections blogs offer have rather than simply their ability to increase their popularity or business.

You are a blessing to share who you are and what you give your life for, with all of us. I wish you a good recovery and better mobility in days to come.

Blessings,

Eve

The Adventurer said...

I so agree with you, I don't text either:) Hope you knee heals up soon. I use to be an OT so saw lots of people having knee operations:) It is a couple of weeks of discomfort but once that is all over it is smooth sailing for most. Sending hugs and prayers your way:)

Darlene said...

I do so much agree with you,LeAnn, about todays technology. I love a lot of it and hate some of it. Like you, I cannot understand texting at all. I refuse to text. Unfortunately Dick has had to learn because his Bishop uses it a lot to communicate, especailly if he is in meetings connected with his work. I should have said his former Bishop, because we now have a whole new Bishopric. Our new one is great too. Our old one, Joe Benson works for Garf. He was a district manager and had six or seven dealerships he had to oversee. It was a lot of traveling for him as he had to go as far as Panorama City, which is where we used to live before we retired and moved here. It is a good two and a half hours from here. Anyway, he got a great promotion and he will be moving to Salt Lake very soon. Now I will have two more people we need to visit when we come to Salt Lake each summer. Next year, we will certainly connect with you, Leann. I am so sorry we had to come home early. There are so many people we didn't get to see this year.

At any rate, I have had to learn how to use some of the new technology, such as blogging. I love hearing from my blogging friends, but for some reason, I sometimes hate to blog. Sue tells me I should only blog when I feel like it. But I'm afraid then I wouldn't hear from wonderful people like you very often. You always have such interesting blogs. You really do have a talent.

I do hope your surgery works very well for you and that your knee will be much better. There were so many things wrong with it that I just hope the arthroscopic surgery will be enough. I wonder if you should have had a knee replacement. A good friend of mine had it done and she healed so well she is back playing tennis and is so glad that she had it done. At first she was going to just have the arthroscopic surgery but decided at the last minute to get the replacemnt and she was so glad. I, on the other hand had arthroscipic surgery on my left knee and almost died as a result of blood clots that went to both lungs. Just be sure that which ever you do have, that you do everything you are supposed to do after it....all the exercising etc. as that really does help. I actually don't think my doctor had me do enough.

Thanks for your nice comments on my blog. I too hate to drive long drives, but I hate staying in motels even more, so we usually drive straight through when we can. We drove straight through, about 12 hours, when we came home from Salt Lake, so that was even longer than the 9 1/2 hours it took from Tahoe. I must admit though that the Salt Lake drive was easier as it was all freeway, not two slow slow lanes as it was so much of the way from Tahoe.

You know what I think? I think you guys should join the Four Freshman Society and come to the Convention next year in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I think you would absolutely love it. I don't think we will ever miss another one, even if it is far away. We had so much fun. What do you think?



Stephanie Cozzens said...

I'm so sorry you have to go through all this misery with your knee. I hope your doctors are able to make it all better in time.

I, too, sometimes cry when I see my mom's handwriting. I can't throw away anything that she wrote for that reason. When my daughter's YW leaders wanted us to write a letter to our daughters for camp last summer, I wrote mine out by hand, even though I have terrible handwriting. (I did slow down and try to make it legible.)

Your post reminds me of something I've meant to do for a long time - make my blog into a book! It's become my journal and I need to have a hard copy so when I stop blogging someday, it doesn't all disappear!

wendy holt said...

Hope you are feeling better. I know my phone I can talk into it and it will text it to the person I want to send it to. (a little easier and quicker)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that awesome posting. Useful, and it saved MUCH time! :-)

Mom of 12 said...

Sorry about your knee. I had my ACL replaced a few years back and it was very painful. Hope you feel better soon.
Sandy

Galen Pearl said...

Came right over when I saw in your comment on my post that you are in much need of PJ days as well as some extra pampering! Sounds like you are on the road to recovery. I hope it's speedy and complete.

Very nice post about the can't live with it/can't live without it relationship we have with technology. I'm learning that for me, while I love the ease of communication, it can become a negative influence if I'm plugged in all the time. I've done better lately about turning the phone or the computer off when I need a break.

Anyway, let yourself have this time to rest and let life slow down.

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