Left on read like the color of a stop sign

This week, we learned about the difference between verbal and nonverbal communication. Watching the video about Christine Kim and she used music and sounds, I really liked that. We can get so hung up on what we are saying but we forget that it’s also what were are not saying. You can say a lot by not saying a lot. To speak to someone is a choice, to not speak to someone is also a choice. Can you imagine if we decided to speak to every person we ever came in contact with? That would be exhausting for us. But at the same time you’re questioning well why don’t I want to say anything? Then the wheels start turning in your head and you think, hmmm let me say something, then you do and you completely regret it and you just want to curl up in your bed and watch tv. We’ve all been there, but we’ve also made amazing friendships and bonds with people because we decided to step out and say hello. Well not like Adele’s hello because that’s a different story for a different blog post.

With technology now, and the way that it’s continuing, it’s going to be even more difficult to decipher between verbal and non verbal. Someone once told me that the amount of technology and social media that we have just shows us the hurtful truth which is, people now have more ways of ignoring you. Before it was the silent treatment and now it’s, you’re left on read. Growing up, when you called someone and you didn’t get them, you’d call back later, or if they had an answering machine, you’d leave a message. Or like me who had a flip phone (sigh) for your answering machine message, you’d act like it was you who picked up the phone. Mine was “hello.... hello.... yeah... well I’m not here right now, but if you leave your name and number, I’ll get back to you.” It was funny. But now if someone doesn’t rely to you right away, it’s as if the world is ending, in your case, YOUR world is ending. But it isn’t. We’re so caught up on not being left on read that we forget to even call someone and see if they’re even alive!! Take some time to engage in verbal communication and not just smiley faces and silent treatments.