Social Media and My Old School Ways

This post is certainly not original in any way.  It's probable that nothing that I have to say will be fabulously enlightening because I'm sure it's all been said before in one way or another.  However, it's been on my mind lately so I thought I would just put it down on paper--or in the form of a blog post.

I've been thinking about this massive influx of social media that is apparently here to stay--like it or not.  I know I am terribly old school, but I am one of those people who has never even liked talking on the phone.  If I'm going to have a conversation with someone I would much rather do it in person.  So much of our communication is non-verbal and I would rather be face-to-face than over the phone.  The one huge exception to that was when Lindy and I were in the long distance phase of our relationship and we would talk for HOOOOOOURS on the phone.  Those were the days before free long distance on cell phones or home phones but that was the only option we had.  You take what you can get.  It was also before e-mail.  :)  Wow, we're old!!

Now, we have MySpace (which is old news) and Facebook (which is fun but can be a huge time-sucker), texting, Twitter, etc.  I'm sure there are other newer forms of social media which I haven't even started to learn about.  It took me a while to catch the texting wave but I've found that I really enjoy it.  One thing that I can't seem to get the hang of is all of the texting abbreviations.  In fact, I've made the choice not to get the hang of it and I have such an aversion to it that I try to text with my, typically, correct grammar.  I try to do this even when I'm sending out mass texts at work from my computer.  The only time I abbreviate is when I have to in order to fit in my message in 140 characters.  I'm not the first one to say that all of these short cuts have provided our younger generation with a serious disservice.  Not only do they not communicate as well verbally, they can't write their way out of a paper bag.  Of course, I'm making generalizations here.

I think what it boils down to in my mind is that our lives have gotten so busy that we can't even take the time to text in proper grammar.  We don't have time to see each other in person or even pick up the phone to have a conversation.  We're so busy that we even have to abbreviate the little blips that we send back and forth to each other.  What kind of message, figuratively, are we sending to each other?  Maybe I'm really over thinking this and I certainly don't want to offend anyone out there who could school me on all the texting shortcuts but I just feel that time is one of the greatest commodities we can give one another.  Communication has become so stilted that we've really lost sight of what is important.

This brings to mind the annual birthday tradition that my friend, Deanna, and I have together.  She's very busy, as am I, and it's really difficult for us to make the time to get together with each other.  But, once a year I treat her to dinner and a movie.  The gift I'm really giving her is time because the time we give each other is more precious than any gift that can be purchased.  Likewise, she's giving me the gift of her time since she's definitely no less busy than me.

Maybe all of this social media has allowed us to connect with more people--around the globe, long-lost friends from the past, etc. but much of it is so shallow that even though we've made our world smaller we've also found a convenient way to put up walls and only communicate when and how we want.  We've lost sight of sharing our thoughts and feelings with each other and maybe being there to see the tears on a friend's face and to give a pat on the shoulder or a comforting hug. 

I do like to communicate via e-mail but I proofread every one that I send out to make sure it has the right grammar, tone, content, etc.  I'm really weird that way.  E-mail is a huge time saver but it can be impersonal as well since it falls far short of face-to-face communication.

As far as Twitter is concerned I don't have a Twitter account, don't know how to get one, and don't care to get one.  I don't think anyone has a desire to know what I'm doing minute by minute and I, frankly, don't have the time or energy to read Tweets about what friends and strangers alike are doing at any given time.  Call me crazy, call me old school, call me whatever you want.  I may eat these words one day but I doubt it.

Of course, there is a deeper meaning in my mind related to all that has transpired in our "microwave society."  For many of us who have a relationship with God it has affected the time we are willing to give to Him.  I think if we could we would just send him a text with our needs and hope he's up there somewhere reading it.  We read a verse a day on our Facebook accounts or say a quick prayer and we think that's enough.  God hasn't changed.  He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Our time, along with our heart, is the most valuable commodity we can give to Him.  We get out of any relationship what we put into it.  I don't want to give God my shortcuts.  I want to give Him my very best.  I don't want the pace at which our lives move to affect what I'm willing to give to Him.  He's given everything to me.  That's the least I can do.

I have to admit that as I close this post I am feeling a little hypocritical because as I was typing I was flashing back and forth between instant messaging with my cousin on Facebook and writing this post.  I haven't seen her for many years and we've been able to reconnect through Facebook, but alas, it's still not as good as seeing Cara in the flesh.  I guess I'll still take what I can get...and I'll use proper grammar and no shortcuts while I'm doing it.  :)

A Post--Eventually--About Something I've Never Done Before

OK, so apparently I must like shoes.  By that, I mean that I really must like shoes...like more than I ever knew I liked shoes...like it seems that I actually LOVE shoes.  I didn't realize this about myself until this week.  I was planning to write this post about doing something I've never done before and I started looking around me and realizing that everyone else already knew how much I love shoes...whilst it didn't even strike me that maybe I like shoes more than the average person.  Yes, it's true that I have a plastic bin in the basement that holds my "off season" shoes just like I have a huge hanging rack that holds all my "off-season" clothes.  I never saw anything odd about trading out my clothes each season.  My Mom always does it, her Mom did it, and since college I have either been transporting seasonal clothes back and forth to school or changing out clothes from one closet to another, or now--from my closet to the basement.  I'm realizing now that maybe it's NOT so common to trade out your shoes on a seasonal basis.

Back to the "looking around me" part.  I started looking around my office and noticed that my co-workers definitely know that I like shoes.  In fact, they know that I love shoes.  Following are a few examples of cards, gifts, functional items, office supplies, etc. that they have presented me with over the years because they apparently know how much I love shoes.

 I wish this pic had not turned out blurry.  It's a birthday card and the outside says, "The feeling of wearing new shoes while shopping for more new shoes."  The inside says, "That's what I wish for your birthday."  I think this was from Dawn--a nurse who moved a way several years ago and Brian--a social worker I don't get to see much anymore since he works in a different office now.

 I think this card is from Christine as is the "Shoe Diva" card.  Funny that one year I got her a high heel shoe that is a cell phone holder for Christmas.  We must share this affinity for shoes.

 Here's a shoe shopper with four coasters that have various shoe styles displayed.  I think the coasters were from Carrie.

 This was a framed picture of shoes that our lovely receptionist, Esther, left in my office for my birthday this summer.  She and Brenda, and I'm pretty sure other co-workers, painstakingly cut out pictures of shoes and decorated my office with them amidst various and sundry pink girly items.  There were even pink streamers hanging from my ceiling.

 This is a red high heel door stop that Christine got me for Christmas one year.  Enough said.

These magnets came with note cards shown below.

I think this was from our previous home care administrator, Michelle.  

 I believe the sweet little picture below was from our previous receptionist, Michelle.  If you can't tell what is in the picture they are pumps with little umbrellas attached.  What a novel idea?!  It also says, "Just when you thought you had everything."  Cute cute.

These little eraser shoes were from Susan--this summer for my birthday.

This little picture says, "Wishing You Sweet Essentials"

This is the latest item in my collection.  I had misplaced the plain old tape dispenser I've had for years and I was telling Becky about it.  She told me she had seen a tape dispenser I would love and the next thing I knew this was on my desk one morning.

I noticed all of these thoughtful items that have been given to me over the years after I realized that I recently did something that I've never done before.  You see, I buy cute shoes--whether they are flip-flops, heels, boots, etc.  It doesn't really matter as long as they are cute and they go with something that I have to wear...or I can buy something to wear with them.  :)  There have been only two styles of cute shoes that I try to avoid--sling backs and ankle straps.  I avoid sling backs because they just will NOT stay on my heels and that's annoying.  I avoid ankle straps because I inherited my mother's thick ankles and ankle straps don't do anything at all to slim your ankles if you need help in that area.  My mother has even said that she wishes I had gotten my Dad's ankles instead of hers.  Speaking of my Mom, the last time I was at home she was complaining of her knees hurting and I suggested that she get some SAS shoes.  I was jesting, of course.  She told me to bite my tongue.  Those are fightin' words in our world. 

I do own a pair of tennis shoes and, against my better judgment, I have included a picture as proof.  The picture below is me--6 months pregnant with Gavin on a little get-away trip to Chicago with Lindy.  We walked for miles and my feet were hurting.  I think the shoes I was wearing originally were also tennis shoes but they were old and hurting my feet.  I found these shoes at Nordstrom Rack, bought them, and threw away the old pair.  (Obviously, they weren't that worn out since I didn't ever wear them but had owned them for many years.  They just weren't comfortable).   My sister-in-law, Cayla, found this picture in one of my Facebook albums and she commented that in spite of my three pregnancies she had seen very few pictures of me pregnant.  There's a reason for that.  Exhibit A below proves that I'm not one of those cute women who get little basketball bellies.  I get pregnant all over.  Again, enough said, and if you're also one of those women then you share my pain.

So, what did I do recently that I have never done before?  Wait for it...wait for it...(that's what Ethan likes to say).  I bought a pair of actual, real-life, comfortable, sensible shoes.  I can honestly say I've never done that before.  I don't count my tennis shoes as "comfortable" because they really are not.  Lindy always gives me a hard time for wearing flip-flops on summer vacation rather than tennis shoes but flip- flops are more comfortable and you can avoid the weird tan lines.  It's a win-win.  When we go skiing I have my cute pink Columbia snow boots that are really more cute than comfortable.

Buying shoes just for the sake of being comfortable.  What a novel idea.  What spurred this crazy behavior,  you ask?  Well, I'm going on another trip to Chicago where there will be much walking involved and I guess when you get to your mid-30s (no debating that, please) you realize that maybe comfortable shoes aren't such a bad idea.  Don't worry.  I haven't completely gone off the deep end.  I did get fancy socks to wear with them.  :)  Once I'm back from Chicago I'll go back to my preferred shoe attire, but I'm looking forward to no aching feet in the Windy City. 

Here they are, the debut of my Eurosteps sensible, comfortable shoes.  Don't expect me to make a habit of this and if you ever catch me in a pair of SAS shoes just send me somewhere for a full evaluation.  

I will require one.

The Many Faces of Gavin

Sorry, friends.  It's been a long week.  Following are the Frequently Funny and Fascinating Faces of my Favorite Four-Year-Old.  I'm not sure that Lindy would consider any of these a "decent" shot because Gav wouldn't quit clowning around but I thought they were pretty funny.  They started out OK and then just went downhill from there.  Note his Rainbows war wound that is healing nicely.