Friday, April 22, 2016

T is for TELEGRAMS, TELEPHONES, then TEXTING #AtoZChallenge

For this year's challenge, my theme is The Fun in Writing. Each of my 26 posts for April is aimed at
illustrating fun parts of an author's day. A writer doesn't only write.
Creating a story or an essay requires research, revision, editing, and lots and lots of coffee and chocolate.



T is for TELEGRAMS, TELEPHONES, then TEXTING

So often, we are reminded of the inadequacies of the various methods of communication. Begin with face-to-face communication, when the speaker’s words are in direct opposition to the facial expression or body language. We say, “No problem,” while our eyes squint at the person who knocked the cell phone out of our hand.
 
Telegrams delivered heartrending news during the wars, informing families of a loved one's death; or news of someone missing in action. But telegrams also announced good news, such as births. My father received a telegram in the army notifying him when I was born.
 
Now we have instant messaging, but the service is often no more reliable than telegrams or mail that was once sent on ships across the ocean. Emails are misinterpreted; text messages are "spell-checked" by computer to become unintelligible or downright comedic.
 
 
 
As much fun as it is to complain about poor service from companies such as Verizon or Microsoft, I wonder, with some trepidation, if we could ever successfully survive a full-grid power failure.
 
How could we fend for ourselves with no e-Reader, Wi-Fi, or iPhone to keep us connected?

 
 
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For my project of posting poems in order from ANOTHER NEW BEGINNING, the following is
 
#32
ALWAYS CONNECTED
 

Letters, addressed
Stamped and postmarked
Mailed
Delivered
Read
 
Telegrams, then air mail
Telephones and texting
Computers and skype
 
Instant contact through
Email smiley faces
Facebook games
Twitter characters
 
News first hand
Almost before it occurs
Births
Marriages
Careers
Instant karma in an electronic age
 
Where will the world be
When the lights go out?

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6 comments:

  1. Agghhh misinterpretation of emails.. agghhhh....
    But hooray for evolution of communication!

    ~AJ Lauer
    an A-Z Co-host
    @ayjaylauer

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't think I've ever sent or received a telegram though I used to wire money a lot through Western Union when I was working on a road show. I still haven't mastered texting and don't much like it either. For now I'd prefer to stick to talking on the telephone.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I am just the opposite, Arlee. I prefer texting because I don't often get a word in edgewise on telephone conversations. Thank you for visiting today.

      Delete
  3. Whatever the method, clarity is the key.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You know, we survived without all that stuff for years. It'd be a pain going back to a world without one, but I think a lot of us old-timers would survive. The young folks, I'm not so sure...

    John Holton
    Blogging from A to Z Challenge Co-Host
    The Sound of One Hand Typing

    ReplyDelete

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