Day 109 - Modern Communication
By “Communication,” I’m talking technological advances in connecting with people, not the process by which we impart ideas. I am grateful for modern mobile phones and the Internet that allow me to be in touch with friends around the world.
I have a new friend in Sweden. Back when I was a kid, we would have “pen pals,” to whom we would write, maybe send a snap shot or two of ourselves and our family and home, and we’d hear back from them a few weeks later. That might last a few months, and then we’d move on, forgetting to write, or not noticing when they didn’t write back. Now we “chat” online or via our phones’ text messaging, and often watch our pals on the screen in a fashion first envisioned in science fiction films and TV programs - all of it instantaneous.
Eli is a Lebanese man in his 20’s who moved to Sweden several years ago and is now a Swedish citizen. He co-owns and runs a clothing boutique. Business is tough in this global recession, and his worries about his store - and his livelihood - are real and urgent. Yet he retains a cheerfulness that is infectious. He is handsome, smart - he speaks four languages - and has a great deal of passion for life. And whether or not his boutique thrives beyond this economic time, I have little doubt he will be successful.
I’m also glad to be in touch with Nacho, the Canadian I met in San Francisco and with whom I’ve been chatting online for years. If it weren’t for modern communications technology, I wouldn’t be able to get to know these people, and so many others in various places, all who enrich my life and brighten my day. In a troubled world like the one we currently live in, that’s something to be grateful for.
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