Submission by Dr. Glenn Mollette
Your relationships will be few if you wait for everyone to come to you.
More and more people are living in isolation. Their world is their telephone. Their friends are on their phones. Their church experiences are on their phones. Their recreation is on their phones.
Most of us spend more time on a cellphone than we ever dreamed of doing. I, for one, do a lot of my vocational work on my cellphone, so I look at my phone as much as anyone. However, man cannot live by phone alone. There has to be more to life than a cellphone, tablet, or computer. There is a world out there — a world filled with people just like you who crave connections and relationships. Most are finding them on their cellphones through social media or various internet sites.
The sad reality is that people aren’t really connecting to other people. Cellphone or social media communication is typically very surface-level. We aren’t truly sharing that much about ourselves or understanding what others are doing or going through. Usually, our perceptions are not completely accurate.
Interpersonal communication is critical to the mental and spiritual health of our planet. We need communication and real, in-person talking. Telephone conversations are valuable, but personal visits — when possible — are even better.
Political leaders must sit down at the table and talk. Government cannot accomplish anything without verbal, one-on-one exchanges or at least small-group dialogues.
Family gatherings are critical. People need to feel connected to family. Your family may be small, but you need each other — and love must always be the priority. How many terrorist shooters might have been saved from their heinous acts if family and perhaps a couple of friends had been able to form real connections with them?
As parents, we often back off too much. We give too much freedom and too much space. We need to stay right in the middle of our children’s lives as much as we possibly can. This means keeping the conversations going. We must continue to care about what they are doing, where they are going, and what is happening in their lives. This becomes very difficult as children grow up and don’t want their parents “in their business.”
Keep in mind that you are still a mom or a dad. You can’t treat your 21-year-old like they are ten, but you can still reach out, express love, offer encouragement, and embrace them emotionally. Of course, even then, some children grow up to choose destructive lifestyles or make horrific life decisions. People have minds of their own. Yet, if parents and family members keep reaching out to each other, it might just be enough to keep a loved one on a good path and living a good life.
In the end, it’s up to you and your family to make real communication and connection a priority. The world needs more conversation — honest, loving, face-to-face conversation — now more than ever.
