Communication

A E Grady

Two Words that Make Me Smile

alligatorI was asked to write a post about a two-word phrase that makes me smile. It took only a second to realize those words are “Later ‘gator.” Just saying them is pleasing to the ear. It’s the rhyming thing. This phrase is from childhood that I still use when trying to be funny, or to make goodbyes not so sad.

I have an Uncle Ray that would tease me when I was a child and I thought he was so cool. His visits were like a spotlight that came on and you never knew what the next act would be.

Uncle Ray would sing “The Battle of New Orleans” when it came on the radio. As he sang, he would dance and act out the song. He looked so funny, but he didn’t care, he was having a great time.

Saying goodbye to him was never sad. He would give me a hug and as he was leaving he would wave and say “Later ‘gator” and then wait for me to respond. I would giggle and reply “After a while crocodile.” Now how could that silly exchange do anything but make you smile?

So what two-word phrase makes you smile?

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A E Grady

Amish Protocol Question

Amish Buggy CrossingAt my local farmer’s market, there are a number of Amish farmers that come in and sell their produce, baked and canned goods. It is a great place to pick up foods that have no added chemicals. The Amish are quiet folks with good business sense and a sense of humor. I enjoy talking with them. There is one woman that comes every week that I call the tomato lady because she is the first and last to have tomatoes and the biggest variety.

My dilemma is that she wears a very striking coat on cool days. The coat is made according to Amish tradition of no trim and is handmade. It is an absolutely beautiful because of the simple lines and the excellent quality of the wool. I have wanted to tell her how beautiful I think it is but the Amish dress plainly to avoid calling attention to themselves.

I know I can complement her produce and honey because they are made by God and His work is to be praised. But her coat was made by a human for warmth and not to call attention to the wearer. Is it taboo to acknowledge the beauty of the coat? Will I offend her if I say something? I am looking for feedback on this question.

A E Grady

Is communication that difficult?

Telephone on PoleMy husband is a computer geek (a main-frame computer geek) and is comfortable working on PCs.  He isn’t as comfortable with social media but recognizes its value and the need to learn it.  When talking about social media communication he frequently uses the wrong term, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does it just to tease me.

I worked up a chart to help explain the different social media communication terms and what they are related to in a non-digital communication form.  Here is what I put together for him.  As I told him, there are more but this is to get him started.

  • E-mail = mail only faster and cheaper
  • Text = phone call only not as many words and no “call-flower” ear
  • Post = a flyer you give to your friends who might give it to another friend
  • Tweet = a notice you put in the newspaper for the subscribers to see
  • Message = a telegram you send to a specific person using a particular program

After this exercise, it hit home how much our communication has changed.  In another generation, people won’t recognize a newspaper or telephone.  The telegram is almost gone now.  My generation is a gap generation, we know what all these things are, have used them, and now we use digital communication.  Times they are a-changing, and it’s all good.