I can not begin to describe how many times I have found myself in a situation where I am honestly struggling to keep a conversation going. Phrases and words like “Umm”, “Haha! Yea”, or “That’s great” are usually followed by awkward smiles and “So, I’ll talk to you later?” If I can tell you one thing I have definitely had engraved into my memory system is that wanting to say something and not being able to do so is extremely frustrating and self impairing.
This anonymous quote sincerely struck a nerve with me, as I feel it should do with most of us, “Without communication, life is useless but with endless chatting, life is full of happiness.” I will not vouch so much for the whole happiness part of the quote, but the portion about life being useless without communication makes absolute sense. Communication goes beyond everything we know, it is a skill that we can’t avoid. Obviously we aren’t the only ones who engage in it, animals have found themselves communicating with one another just as long as we have. They have no issues doing so, but why do we?
We use words and symbols to get through the days end, the question here is how well are we utilizing our gift? In the age of text messages, instant messages, tweets and virtual comments I believe we have lost what is most valuable to us: proper language and language usage. We have forgotten how beautiful spoken and written words can be. We have forgotten how to express ourselves in the most majestic ways. No, I don’t want to receive a text where my significant other says, “Hey, hope everything is cool. Love you. Night.” I’d rather rush to my phone at the sound of those bells, and hear your lovely voice recite the event of your day and later listen to your chuckles as I tell you what happened throughout my day. Yes mom, that video of those two senial women dancing to “Stanky Leg” was pretty funny, but I wish that instead I could find the words to let you know that college is really kicking my ass and that half the time I don’t know how I’m going to get through it.
There are so many things that those who struggle with poor communication skills knowingly want to say, but shy away from due to fear and ridicule. But what we fail to realize is that the world is not going to end if you speak. In reality people want to listen to one another, especially people who you are rather close with. People care.
If you decide to remember anything from this article I hope it is that you should talk to the people around you more often. I know that a lot of us struggle with this idea and that it may be difficult to do, but no good things in life come to us easy. No one is going to suddenly wake one day and be the world's best public speaker who also has no difficulty expressing themselves to those in their personal lives, I repeat no one. Practice makes perfect, doesn’t it?
