RE: Email Replies

For the longest time, I had a disturbing trend among those friends and acquaintances I was keeping in touch with via email. The situation was always thus: we'd be going along, writing our usual messages to each other.. and then nothing. Communication would stop completely. I'd give a few days before trying another message; then a few weeks; then a few months. Eventually I would give up. What happened to these people? Did they grow tired of me? Did something bad happen? The mystery continues.

Lately, it's been a slightly different trend with email compatriots. It usually begins with the above, and then out of nowhere comes a message from the person, which usually amounts to, "Hey, I haven't heard from you in awhile! How's it going? I'm doing fine. Well, gotta go, please reply back!" Many things bug me about messages like this, from the "haven't heard from you in awhile" (whose fault is that?) to the almost rushed feeling of the email. Almost as if they wrote it as a chore or afterthought.

So begrudgingly, I respond back to the person, with a pretty decent sized message. And then.. the whole thing repeats itself! Somehow they get the idea that I haven't written, and I catch them in the apparently two minutes free time they had to connect to the Internet.

Now to be perfectly fair, I could conceivably call those people that I have numbers for. But most people who know me, realize I just don't like phone conversations all that much. A large part of this probably stems from the fact I've been working in call centers a good deal, taking calls 8-10 hours a day as part of my job. When I get done with my work day, I don't want to talk on the phone. Which is why I opt for emails and instant messaging instead. Not to mention the fact that with emails you have a chance to plan out what you have to say. There's nothing worse than an awkward phone conversation when someone says something completely off-the-wall, or when the two people simply run out of things to say.

The whole concept of replying to emails kind of goes along with the concept of returning phone calls. To me, it just doesn't require a whole lot of effort.. which is why I hate the "I've been to busy to call/write" excuse. If you actually took the time to sit down, a brief phone call or email will take you 5 minutes. Are you telling me you're too busy for THAT?

So I just don't know what it is with me. I wish I knew why this happened with my friends and acquaintances. I would say "only time could tell," but time is what I've been giving a lot of to people. :)

New year, same events

There was a 'Garfield' cartoon I read one time where Garfield woke up on New Years Day, stuck his paw out from under the bed sheets, and said something to the effect of, "new year, huh? Feels the same to me," and then proceeds to go back to sleep.

It's kind of what I feel like when a new year rolls around. It's not that I'm a pessimist (in fact, I once told someone that I'm an optimist, sometimes against my better judgment), it's just that not a whole lot ever seems to change for me lately.

In 2005, I was at the same job I've been at since mid-2003 (with different responsibilities, though, towards the end). Same apartment also - with only minor changes to the decor. As with every year it seems, I was in line for several good-paying jobs, but was screwed out of each and every one of them. Dates were few and far between. Mocha was fussy and rubbed everything in sight (or tried to).

I can't say that anything life-changing happened to me, personally. That's not to say things happened to others in my life. One friend of mine got married, and is expecting a child sometime in May. (Shoot for May 29.. it's a lucky date!!) My sister settled into a new job, which will allow me to respond to the question, "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies," with the reply, "No thanks, I've got a supplier on the inside." My sister-in-law is well on her way to finishing up law school, where she will join David James Elliot sometime in 2006 (or so that's my way of thinking). And as I said, for me, nothing completely life-altering, though I must say, I've made some good acquaintances this past year, including one unexpected, but certainly more than welcome one in Romania. I'd say we were pen pals, but we write emails to one another.. would that make us "keyboard pals?" (I've coined a new phrase) It's wonderful to know that across the world there is another unselfish person like myself and so many people I call friend.

I'd like to think that 2006 will bring some more welcome changes in my life, in fact I am hopeful. But I'm not one of those people who thinks that with a new year, you must give yourself a fresh start, and make some improvements to your life. I may not lead the most glamorous life; I don't make a lot of money, I don't go out to a lot of new, fancy places. But I like where I am as far as WHO I am. Sure, there are areas where I could grow and improve, but I'm not going to make changes just because people expect it with a new year.

So to you, year 2006, I say, I'm ready for you, and don't mess with me or my own, pal!!