We are living in a time when communication is at an all-time high. There was a time when one would take pen, ink and parchment; carefully script out a letter; roll it, bind it and deliver it to the post. After sorting, it would be given to a person with a fast horse who would then mount and ride as fast as they could to the ultimate destination of the letter. As you might imagine, many days would go by before that letter was read by its recipient -- if they got it at all.
Email and cell phones make it easy to stay in contact with others. One can bang out an instant message on the computer and bingo, two are chatting back and forth. Global businesses use video and web conferencing to conduct business around the world, spanning every time zone. Then, there is my teenage daughter who will sit in her room and send me text after text (it takes me forever to respond) until finally I'll just call her and get the conversation completed.
Facebook, in my opinion, has been an excellent means of connecting with friends around the world and yet, it seems to me that people are more "dis-connected" than ever before. How much real communication gets done?
When I first struggled with MS, it become extremely difficult for me to walk. I would get around with the use of a cane (I was stubborn about the wheelchair or scooter idea). It was a long and laborious project for me to get out of the car and all the way inside of a restaurant or other place of business. The result was that I tended to stay in and work on the computer rather than getting out as much as before. My connections and relationships suffered as a result. I found it important however, to force my self to stay in touch. To keep up relationships with old friends and business associates.
It is now the final dregs of summer and not yet a good time to be talking about campfires and fireplaces, but here I go anyway. Have you ever noticed how quickly a burning log dies out when it gets separated from the pile? Take a poker and move it over closer to the others and it rekindles into flame again.
You get the message. Don't go it alone. On the job, in family situations, times when you find yourself struggling; there are more people than you think willing to reach out and help. It is good to belong to some kind of network just for the connections, and feedback, and relationships you will develop.
In the Bible it says, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17. Finally, don't forget the spiritual side of it. You are essentially a spiritual being that needs that spiritual connection with your creator. Take the time daily to connect with God and you will be a far more productive person the rest of the day.
