I Propose a Challenge!

Yesterday at work, I had a confrontation with a coworker.  He gets stressed easily and I get stressed easily.  In this part of my journey, I am trying to focus the next 6 weeks on my reactions.  I am working on being calm for those who are around me that seemingly "spaz-out".  I hope that I can learn to diffuse some of the stress through not making situations any bigger than they are.

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So in this confrontation, I realized several inconsiderate notions that I was allowing to occur.  I was selfishly seeing that the tasks on hand should revolve around me where as I should have been considerate an asked when it could be fit into his heap of work.  I was too busy in my own little world to see that.  I also didn't realize that my coworker had not eaten anything.  He was what I call hangry (anger caused by hunger) and being that he too is a diabetic he definitely needed to eat something and make it a priority.

I am sure that you all have seen this article gliding around cyber space about how this husband is going to get a divorce.  Immediately you think--what??  Not the d-word!  But this divorce is a positive one!  huh?  Just read:  http://www.oddcrunch.com/why-you-should-get-a-divorce/0.

Texting and email can be used for good, yet it has it's drawbacks too.  How many of you are chained to your email?  Or your phone in general?  How many times do you feel the need to check the weather, check your Facebook, tweets...etc?  How many of you feel that you can text better than you can talk? Sometimes texting might be easier, but nothing is a replacement for a face to face conversation.  We all do it.  Technology can trick us into believing we need it for survival and that we need everything done right now...Good Knight!  How did we ever do it before smart phones!  No wonder no one has patience...

Texting has killed the art of conversation making.  It's awkward to pick up the phone and tell someone they are on the way...why not text, you say?  I will tell you why!  I want to tell that person and put some excitement into it, or not!  I want them to feel that they are important--too important for just a simple text.  Texting and email has eliminated the emotion and left interpretation wide open.  So you know if you weren't insecure enough or you already didn't like face to face interaction...whew! (wipe the sweat off of your forehead) Your covered!

Eliminating emotion from the deal doesn't really help anything, it just makes it a little easier for someone to be a coward.  Break-ups via text?  Yes. That happens more times than you think!  Individuals getting fired via email?  You better believe it!  Whatever happened to just doing it face to face?

Today, I will not be chained to texts....will I survive?? (GASP!)

Technology in general has made our lives easier and efficient in a lot of ways.  It has also made it easier to make excuses.  It IS easier to accommodate a short text rather than engaging in a long conversion.  But that is because our lives are so busy that we almost skim over the fact we thrive and need the human touch!  It also makes us more selfish.  Our time is our time and yet everyone expects everything to be done right now.  If we want to ignore someone's text or email, we can.

Can you ever imagine a doctor texting you the news, "You have cancer.  Here is opt a and b..."?  Or a nurse texting you the oh so comforting words, "it's gunna b OK" ?  No!  Because they know interaction with the patient are necessary no matter how hard it is.  There is a level of compassion there when they speak to a family about real life situations and scenarios.  They know it is a tough position, but I am pretty sure that they know that is apart of their job.  They have to confront situations head on and speak to the individuals involved no matter how ugly it can be.  That is hard business, but they do it!

Even though my confrontation yesterday was hardly enjoyable and it made me a slight afternoon grump, it was needed.  I needed to literally see my coworker's stress (and feel it too!) to know that his stress is real.  He is a little rough around the edges and we can joke about it now.  This morning we even hugged it out!  But he needed that interaction as much as I did.  We made light of the words spoken and left it in the past.  We just simply bonded.

Today I want to propose a challenge to you.  One day this next week, divorce your technology (which ever it may be) and go out in your community and bond with your fellow humans!  Leave your phone and iPad in the car and just go get a coffee with friends.  Discover one place new to eat just by driving around--not looking it up on your phone.  Go on one technology free date.  Just one.  Who knows!  You might actually enjoy a text free dinner!

I challenge you to look at the way technology has masked the very need of face to face interaction.  You might find, like I did,  it's nice to just hang out care free and not being chained to a piece of metal.  It was nice simply talking to friends without considering what fire I was going to have to put out next.  It was liberating actually....almost a little piece of paradise!

Now entering the text free zone...
Catie Manning