Reach Out and Touch Someone

When I was living in America, some thirty years ago, AT&T had commercials that never failed to bring tears to my eyes. Whether it was the grandparents hearing their grandchild say his first word over the phone, the homesick college student calling his house, or the city dwellers dialing the farm down home, I’d choke up seeing such strong emotions expressed over the long distance wire.

AT&T coomercial courtesy of Youtube

Nowadays reaching out means sending a text message, WhatsApp, or Twitter. I understand that there are even those who think it’s an invasion of privacy to just make a phone call without first setting an appointment. I guess I’m a reactionary since I think there’s no replacement for the connection a spontaneous human voice brings.

Friendship, like all other precious belongings, needs nurturing. I’m undoubtedly old-fashioned but I think that nurturing comes from personal interactions. I don’t want to be among the first of someone’s three-hundred and sixty-two closest Facebook friends to know he’s engaged.  Nor do I want to find out my great-aunt is in the hospital dying via Pinterest.  And I don’t want to know my cousin is finally a grandmother from LinkedIn.

I crave the connection of face-to-face conversation. In lieu of that, I’ll happily settle for a friendly phone call, private email or, now I’m really dating myself, a letter.  I’m a dying minority, though, and some of my friendships have passed away due to neglect. The longer we go without conversing the harder it is to make conversation when we do eventually meet up again. I can blame the others for not finding the time to talk or write. I can say that if they really cared about the relationship they’d make the effort. Or I can admit that I have to take a fair share of the blame. Should my lack of self-confidence be a reason to stop trying? How much of my stubborn resistance to new-fangled technology caused the friendship’s demise?

As I ponder these questions I know there is Someone I can always turn to without an appointment or using any inventions, new or old. Praying several times a day and saying numerous blessings keeps me in steady contact with The Almighty. That contact reassures me that He’s there for me in good times, as well as bad.

So, I take my prayer book daily and reach out to Him. As I talk to Him I can pray for His help to make me a better, more patient friend so I don’t totally loose contact with those I love. While I talk I know it’s the longest long distance call I can make and I make it without the help of AT&T or anyone else. Then at the end of the month there isn’t even a bill, just the satisfaction of knowing I have a relationship with the One Above.