December 2022
“The house was built on the highest part of the narrow tongue of land between the harbor and the open sea. It had lasted through three hurricanes and was built solid as a ship. It was shaded by tall coconut palms that were bent by the trade wind and on the ocean side you could walk out of the door and down the bluff across the white sand and into the Gulf Stream. The water of the stream was usually a dark blue when you looked at it when there was no wind. But when you walked out into it there was just the green light of the water over that floury white sand, and you could see the shadow of any big fish a long time before he could ever come close to the beach” Ernest Hemingway, edited by Mary Hemingway posthumously
If you ever spent time on the islands including my island of Key West, you can appreciate the prose above. Hemingway captured it perfectly with words, no pictures or snap-chats needed. Today I would like to put down the calculator and discuss communication. I grew up before cell phones and internet and was forced to learn how to communicate with both the oral and written word. As a young professional I read the Sunday New York Times because the writing was far superior to the hacks of the local newspapers. My elder uncle was a law professor who corrected my grammar and spelling long before Word and taught me how to enunciate my speech. Later on, my dad came to work for the firm and acted as a proofreader again, increasing my grammar and punctuation skills. He learned as a printer to read copy upside down and backwards.
Like everything else, we have evolved communication to text messages, emails, and IM. I rarely meet someone born after 1980 that can write in cursive or clearly communicate in person or on the telephone. Everyone mumbles and speaks in short phrases. Go to a drive-thru window anywhere and try to understand what they are trying to say (welcmto mcdonals how kin I take ur order). The exception to that are the most successful people I have met. They are not always the smartest but can communicate clearly and provide leadership in their speech.
My own communication skills have waned over the years, and I too am guilty of texting instead of calling. I rarely write a letter longer than these musings. So, I will start to listen to my own advice:
I will, in turn, try and encourage the people around me to do the same. Turn off Netflix and write a holiday card to a friend or loved one. Call someone I normally text to.
Force your children and your grandchildren to speak to you in person if possible and by phone when not, or even face time which they all know about. Tell them to write a letter describing their vacation experience at Disney or wherever. Encourage them to speak clearly and learn new vocabulary often. Challenge them to read a classic book and tell you about it. When they visit, turn off the TV.
Start small, work your way up to discussing world events and things they think are important, because if you discuss things, you think are important, they will tune you out (as I did of course).
This would be a great New Year’s resolution.
Happy holidays
