Lesson Learned

I've always thought it's a delicate dance with interaction that is not face to face or even voice to voice. I've often wondered why people feel the need to send photos of themselves in compromising positions or various stages of undress to others, famous or not. Look where it got Brett Favre!

I recently learned a valuable lesson about texting and while it has nothing to do with naked pictures, it gave me pause.

I enjoy meeting new people! I am very fortunate in that I don't find it difficult to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. I met someone one evening, waiting for another friend, it was fun conversation but I left with my pal. I ran into the same new friend another evening when I was on my own! More conversation and we decided to exchange digits because we worked out at the same gym and actually had some mutual friends. This new friend is male.

So I see my new friend out once again, at a local establishment, and think I am being savvy by texting him to turn around and see me. The return comes back, "I don't know who you are!" to which I reply by text, "Don't you remember me?". Then I proceed to go through my photos on my phone and send him one of me, just a head shot, fully clothed I might add, all the while the guy is physically about 10 paces away from me! I have NEVER done that before, I usually walk right up to the person, smile and say hello!

The reply comes back, "I don't know you, but you're cute! What's your name?" Now I realize I have texted some random person and it turns out to be a guy too! To boot, my new friend leaves so I don't even get a chance to say hello, and realize I don't have his correct phone number after all!

Sadly, my mind always leaps to the lowest common denominator. Now a random guy has my picture on his phone and for all I know could be pleasuring himself to it. I know it sounds presumptuous, it's not like I was in a bikini or anything, I just have a gutter-dwelling mind!

Luckily, I see my new friend at the gym, but I don't get a chance to explain.

As technology friendship would have it, I get a "friend" request on Facebook from him. I explain what happened and he gives me the right number.

I didn't follow up with random dude, I thought it's likely best if I don't.

But somewhere out there someone has, or at least had, a picture of me.

From now on, I say hello to someone to their face, especially if they are steps away!

Let's hope the random hit the delete button!

Lesson learned the hard way!

Technology and Christmas

It's fascinating to me how fast technology becomes obsolete. Every year it's a new gadget especially this time of year! Video gaming units, HD or 3D TVs, satellite radio, EBook Readers, with each turn of the calendar, there's something new coming down the pipe.

This video was broadcast here in Canada in 2003, long before EVERYONE had a cell or smart phone as we live now!

2010 appears to be the year of the iPhone4. The lure of a function called FaceTime has left many drooling for the new function, especially during the holiday season. Here's Apple's ad promoting it:

For many of us, members of our families are flung around the globe and we ache to be geographically closer. I have talked to my nephew on the phone in England during the holidays but in later years got to see he and his sister open their gifts via webcam. This kind of technology is so precious!

But it still saddens me as I get prepared to take the train to visit relatives, that I will see most with their heads down on the old Via Rail. Almost every train is now equipped with WiFi and many that commute to larger centres like Toronto, bring their laptops to do work on the way to their place of business. Most in the coming days however will also be toting a smart phone of some description letting Mom and Dad know when their train gets in. It is possible to go from point A to point B, a 5 hour journey say, and not speak to a soul! I think social networking, texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, are so popular because every human soul needs validation. Someone to care. It used to be that face to face conversing was the best form of that but someone responding to your pithy Facebook status is a form of validation. Getting text messages constantly, validation. Tons of Twitter followers, validation.

While the gadgets come in handy for travelling (What did we do before cell phones and people had to drive to Grandma's house in a snowstorm for Christmas dinner???) I think it's important to have that REAL "facetime" with the people you love! Put the smart phone away, you don't need it! Is it really necessary to let all your Facebook friends know you are now carving the turkey? TALK to one another people! Enjoy your family while they are still around!

When a smart phone loses it's dazzle, it can be recycled and forgotten.

Friends and family cannot!