Keeping in Touch

I'm technically sitting in your pocket, purse, jacket or bag. I'm sitting on your desk, floor, couch, chair, or under the mail and bills.

Okay, maybe not me personally, but whatever device you have that connects me to you is.

Gone are the days of writing letters to people. Gone are the days with phones ringing in empty houses. Technically, the days are gone where you even have to call someone. Or use a phone. You can Email, Facebook, and Twitter someone faster than calling them. Remember Instant Message? Wow, that was instant.

It's so easy now to spit out a 100 character text to your friends that you forget what their voices sound like.

It's so easy to stay connected with friends, except I don't.

Yup, you heard that right. I rarely talk to my high school and college friends. I check their status updates, and read their tweets, but I never really talk to them.

 I know my friend in Alaska is doing well, and her husband is training for the State Troopers, but I haven't talked to her since high school, and haven't typed her since fall of 2009.

Thank you, Facebook.

At this rate, do we even need class reunions? Will I even remember how to talk to these people?

Yes, of course I will. But it's just crazy that I just hung up the phone with one of my best friends, and she pointed out we've only talked once in the last year. And that was at Chris and my wedding. Oops.

We email weekly, and are constantly sending texts back and forth. But an actual conversation? Nope.

We've both been extremely busy. She's working three jobs and studying for a personal training license. I've been writing, and job searching. There is also the three hour time difference that makes it tricky.

If I wait longer than 6 p.m. PT than I'm afraid it's to late to call. Wow, we've become lame in our post college years.

It's also awkward. Not always, but sometimes. I spoke to a friend from high school this past weekend, for the first time in forever. It wasn't awkward, as much as there wasn't anything to say. We knew what was happening because we're addicted to Facebook, and know everything that has been happening.

Thanks Mark Z. Way to kill conversation.

I know letter writing is not going to come back. I think we've all established we would rather deal with Internet viruses and spam then waiting five to seven days for a letter. That isn't time efficient at all. I need an answer, and I need one now damnit!

Need? No. Expect? Yes.

Why?

Because it's the 21st century and I know you have multiple ways of me contacting you.

Stalkers. We've all become crazy stalkers.

All I want is to know if you want to go to the bar tonight, and I've turned into a crazy person.

I tried going off the grid last month, and I'll post a blog about that later, but I've never felt more alone, and left out  of what is happening in the world.

No wonder Charles Dickens was such a dark writer. He didn't have anything to keep in contact with his chaps from school. If only he had Facebook. No. A phone. No. Email. No.

 Writing letters probably worked out well for people back then.

As for now, I think I need to work on communicating. Or at least checking Facebook more often.