tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post355568176796038649..comments2023-10-11T04:09:53.564-07:00Comments on materfamilias writes: Communicating, Now and Then. . . materfamiliashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-56670401267181785342016-07-23T16:20:43.576-07:002016-07-23T16:20:43.576-07:00Interesting topic. I just got back from a week at...Interesting topic. I just got back from a week at my mother's cottage with her - the only technology was a rotary dial phone! no TV, no internet and I had to leave my work supplied cell phone behind when I retired. Then I lost one knitting needle and couldn't knit. After a couple of rather stressed days I did settle down and relax into the situation and in the end it was a good break.<br /><br />I read quite a bit of fiction for the first time in years, and found it interesting how the plots would have changed if there were cell phones and texting at today's level. Technology is changing the human experience rapidly. There were even differences in situations in books written only a few years ago.<br /><br />I too have decided to get smart phone and give up my land line. It may be a bit of a nuisance to only have one phone which will probably be downstairs ringing when I'm upstairs, unless I have it in my hand constantly as the younger generation seem to do (kidding, this won't happen!). I don't have children or a spouse but my friends text back and forth quite often, so I need a cell phone to stay connected. At least with text you don't have to answer immediately or mess around getting into voice mail.Northmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15597456926736581361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-91329484380549431922016-07-23T13:26:13.691-07:002016-07-23T13:26:13.691-07:00Definitely something to this...I do have some ques...Definitely something to this...I do have some questions on the practical side of things, but overall, yes! Delight is a good approach, so much better when it happens regularly ;-)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-8539951064475966212016-07-23T11:24:43.990-07:002016-07-23T11:24:43.990-07:00I think it's just a question of being delighte...I think it's just a question of being delighted with whatever one gets !SmitoniusAndSonatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11210817141287881808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-2101882187187478132016-07-23T09:29:05.201-07:002016-07-23T09:29:05.201-07:00Oh, I can really relate to this. We have four grow...Oh, I can really relate to this. We have four grown kids, each with families and partners and busy work lives, and so overall we're hearing from someone or other a few times a week. If I were looking at the pattern of just one of them . . . . I've thought about writing letters as well and occasionally have sent cards or letters to my granddaughters. Perhaps it's time for a resolution. . . I wonder if you'll get a chance to chat about this with your daughter in your September visit, or if it will seem better just to let things be. I know I have to be very careful not to seem disappointed or, well, parental, but hey, moms have feelings too, right? ;-)materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-60615134167937279552016-07-23T09:25:48.303-07:002016-07-23T09:25:48.303-07:00😉😉materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-74977064962616192612016-07-22T13:08:09.946-07:002016-07-22T13:08:09.946-07:00Well,he is good if he has enough time :-)
DWell,he is good if he has enough time :-)<br />DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-32715171034054159912016-07-22T11:37:18.666-07:002016-07-22T11:37:18.666-07:00At first I thought texting would help with quick r...At first I thought texting would help with quick replies from my daughter, but even that has dwindled. She is an introvert in a very demanding job, so feels overwhelmed often with too much stimulus. This summer I haven't heard much from her. We live 1600 miles apart. We are close and I understand, but wish I would hear from her more often. I have been thinking, maybe I should start writing letters and see if that would work. She isn't on FB much, but it is good to see when she is. I am going to visit in September. Thank you for your post. It helps to know that it is the same for others too. Once I told her she didn't need to respond to each of my texts.....wishing I hadn't said that now....!NE/MEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10383398994274488964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-44993224962808791952016-07-22T08:59:53.954-07:002016-07-22T08:59:53.954-07:00jbettyb and Julie, you're at (or beyond) the s...jbettyb and Julie, you're at (or beyond) the stage I'm noticing brings a big change, with the landlines gone, and the grandchildren in a very different communications regime than we expected. With one g'daughter living in Rome, I'm so grateful for modern technology -- what would I do without FaceTime, without spontaneous text conversations, without the delightful mini videos attached to an email? But I would have liked to be able to chat with the local g'kids one on one, when the impulse hits either one of us, and that isn't easily accommodated -- your sentence, betty, about wishing you could be surprised by a little granddaughter picking up the phone. . . . Yes! I've shared that wish!<br />and Julie, your last paragraph. . . their lives are so very busy right now -- we longed for easier communications at times, and I see them needing to filter out the constant demand for response. . . <br />Thanks to both of you for extending the conversation -- I'm hoping to pick up these points and post again on the topic soon.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-36657270209390386882016-07-22T08:56:44.494-07:002016-07-22T08:56:44.494-07:00jbettyb and Julie, you're at (or beyond) the s...jbettyb and Julie, you're at (or beyond) the stage I'm noticing brings a big change, with the landlines gone, and the grandchildren in a very different communications regime than we expected. With one g'daughter living in Rome, I'm so grateful for modern technology -- what would I do without FaceTime, without spontaneous text conversations, without the delightful mini videos attached to an email? But I would have liked to be able to chat with the local g'kids one on one, when the impulse hits either one of us, and that isn't easily accommodated -- your sentence, betty, about wishing you could be surprised by a little granddaughter picking up the phone. . . . Yes! I've shared that wish!<br />and Julie, your last paragraph. . . their lives are so very busy right now -- we longed for easier communications at times, and I see them needing to filter out the constant demand for response. . . <br />Thanks to both of you for extending the conversation -- I'm hoping to pick up these points and post again on the topic soon.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-2324602186474439592016-07-22T08:49:06.248-07:002016-07-22T08:49:06.248-07:00I can relate to all of this, Annie, although I wil...I can relate to all of this, Annie, although I will admit that I haven't yet given myself a serious, sustained break from being connected. <br />Yes, the sound of the ringing phone -- this is part of what I want to talk more about, because it's been silenced, in my experience. We have the only landlines in the family, and ours will be gone soon as well . . . materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-20496790810321708312016-07-22T08:46:49.955-07:002016-07-22T08:46:49.955-07:00The trend here seems to be for fewer and fewer peo...The trend here seems to be for fewer and fewer people to have a landline. I'm curious to know if this is beginning to happen where you are, and if so, will that perhaps change your patterns. . . <br />Such an interesting bit of communications history you cite -- I suppose the numbering would help if the chronology got confused but one letter being routed more efficiently than another. Such a huge gap technology has closed. . . .materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-86804704797955042132016-07-22T04:25:01.816-07:002016-07-22T04:25:01.816-07:00My daughter removed her landline for economic reas...My daughter removed her landline for economic reasons. She has an unlimited plan for her smartphone, the grandkids just have pay as you go. It means I can't make that call and just chat with them anymore. With a gap in time zones, it's a challenge to catch them when she has her phone free and they're around. When I've been visiting it's shocking to see the constant communication she has coming in. <br /><br />When our lives are less busy, it's easy to forget theirs are non stop. Pre answering machines, we never realized how difficult it was for our parents to reach us. They may not respond to some texts but at least I know if it's urgent they can and will act upon it.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11219331396794952685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-68329164687268902572016-07-21T15:29:13.673-07:002016-07-21T15:29:13.673-07:00I had not even thought of scanning. It won't w...I had not even thought of scanning. It won't work for some (black ink on both sides of thin paper or the ones in pencil written during a typhoon), but it would for most. I might even help me decipher some of the hard to read words. Thank you! Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13402459402926219046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-63962103240433935162016-07-21T09:19:39.296-07:002016-07-21T09:19:39.296-07:00My adult children and the older grandchildren are ...My adult children and the older grandchildren are all hooked up to smart phones. Texting is the best way to get hold of the g-daughters, and sometimes their parents, but there is still a landline in their home and they use it. My younger son and his wife are smart phone only people and, although they are good at keeping in touch by cell and text, I sometimes wish I could call a landline to their home, and be surprised by a little grand-daughter picking up the phone and having a spontaneous, unplanned conversation about what is going on in her life before I get the parent I had originally called. This still happens with the older girls when they are at home and I miss it. Everyone with their own smartphone feels very separate. I agree with Nohatnogloves about the immediate intimacy of blogging. Bettyjbettybhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03469736112484529666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-29449432415832466812016-07-21T01:58:55.411-07:002016-07-21T01:58:55.411-07:00This is a pertinent topic. Our house is crammed w...This is a pertinent topic. Our house is crammed with phones, laptops etc, all bleeping and hooting the live-long day. After the hoo-haa of Brexit, I decided to retreat from all the noise and stopped FB for two weeks. Even left my phone at home. It was curiously freeing. I am attempting to be more reasonable in usage now. Communicating with children: when my son was living in Seoul, using a Korean messaging service was invaluable. And when he was in hospital with a bad break, it literally saved my sanity. We could message, send videos, send audio messages...modern technology is a double-edged sword. I phone my mum, message and text my children, FB message friends and use Skye as a last resort as I don't care for it. But - confession - I have come to dread the sound of a ringing phone in the house. It rarely brings good news, I find. Blogging, however, I love. A sense of immediate intimacy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-23749318604507202102016-07-21T01:44:44.962-07:002016-07-21T01:44:44.962-07:00I've got a cell phone but only use it for spec...I've got a cell phone but only use it for special occasions (like travelling). In everyday life, if I am not at home people can leave a message on the answering machine and I get back to them. On the other hand, I always feel a bit hesitant about ringing somebody on the cell phone because I do not know if I am interrupting some work or conversation, so the idea about "disturbing" somebody works exactly the other way round with me. In general I prefer SMS or email, exactly because the recipient can choose the moment when to read and to answer. In my opinion, the biggest improvement of communication technology is email instead of snail mail for instant trans-continental contact. I remember the times when letters between Europe and Latin America used to take several weeks. With some correspondents we numbered our letters in order to keep track if any had got lost on the way...Eleonorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-68899104676712534602016-07-20T15:24:41.811-07:002016-07-20T15:24:41.811-07:00I find text is best as well... Mine aren't doi...I find text is best as well... Mine aren't doing much on FB these days...materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-42848311778844406632016-07-20T15:22:11.685-07:002016-07-20T15:22:11.685-07:00That must have been such a challenge, especially u...That must have been such a challenge, especially until you developed a network of friends. We only moved a two-day drive from home, and I still found it tough trying to manage with a meagre long-distance budget. And my husband's fieldwork would take him to areas with no communication possibilities except the occasional radio telephone, those awkward echoes and the invisible presence of other listeners. So I'm with you in not wishing for the good old days, but still . . .materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-88035511541519867572016-07-20T15:17:24.674-07:002016-07-20T15:17:24.674-07:00Too funny indeed and exactly what I'm talking ...Too funny indeed and exactly what I'm talking about! I suspect mine wouldn't even have picked up in those circumstances.. materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-40059104892715563092016-07-20T15:16:23.042-07:002016-07-20T15:16:23.042-07:00What a lovely image, a memory you must treasure of...What a lovely image, a memory you must treasure of your dad printing out (on an old dot-matrix printer?) your email, reading it to your mom. My parents had similarly saved letters I wrote them from England, summers of '67 and '71....i completely understand why you prefer to avoid having a cell, and if you can manage as well as you do to stay connected without one, Brava!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-58779298650476340222016-07-20T15:12:57.733-07:002016-07-20T15:12:57.733-07:00Your parents are very lucky to have you so close b...Your parents are very lucky to have you so close by. <br />Is your son usually quite prompt about replying to your texts? Mine used to be much better but as their lives have got busier with families and work, it can take a while....materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-41858136778804607662016-07-20T15:09:50.863-07:002016-07-20T15:09:50.863-07:00This is exactly what I was reckoning with when I w...This is exactly what I was reckoning with when I was in Rome on my own:how to get past all the filters that are set up to screen me out, especially during the inconvenient hours. I'm chuckling at your recourse to outrageous texts...materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-84782680711609300152016-07-20T15:07:38.712-07:002016-07-20T15:07:38.712-07:00What a wonderful task! A responsibility and a priv...What a wonderful task! A responsibility and a privilege. Are you scanning the letters as well so that there's a digital record of the originals? Of course, all our digital records are so dependent on the equipment required to process them...like you, I couldn't give up the convenience of our digital world, but I miss some of the reassuring tangible elements of older communications.materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-25160077065638378832016-07-20T15:02:42.895-07:002016-07-20T15:02:42.895-07:00We're down to three generations now, and the y...We're down to three generations now, and the youngest generation are not yet online, but you draw a very recognizable picture of the landscape we find ourselves in. It's amazing, isn't it, how quickly the transformation happened?.. Aren't those old letters precious now?,materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4904021173466473381.post-17894847824145023302016-07-20T11:26:49.864-07:002016-07-20T11:26:49.864-07:00Oh, and regarding communicating with adult childre...Oh, and regarding communicating with adult children, I find that text is the only way to get an immediate response. The rest of the news that I get about their comings and goings is from FB.slfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04405972029307714164noreply@blogger.com