An Apology to Loved Ones Who Defied 'No Outrage' Day

Note: In a NYT Op-Ed last week, Bill Maher called for a ‘National Day of No Outrage' on March 25th. Ignoring Maher’s unapologetic plea to personal outrage, this post shines a humorous light on one of the biggest behavioral barriers facing communications. 
Dear Family and Friends,

Dogs are wisely observant, so I’m sure my beloved Weimeraner has noted the battles lost when attempts to divide my attention via his nudging paw have failed. Inciting only minimal cause for pause initially, the situation imploded when you guys hitched a bandwagon ride.     

Remember the Verizon commercial spotlighting the nerdy male who mocked the cellphone competition in “Can you hear me now?” repetition? Well, of equal annoyance for a multi-tasker like me is the question, ‘Are you listening?’   

Since falling for my iPhone 4S, you’ve expressed outrage over diluted communication. Not to dispute Mehrabian’s theory which segments communication into 55% body language, 38% voice tone and only 7% verbal, I suppose the messenger-tilted scale doesn’t absolve the receiver’s accountability. Should I have begged forgiveness for having denied any of you an uncluttered receptacle for messaging? Ok, my bad.          

Even the excuse of a misplaced summons to communications court, brilliant or so I thought, couldn’t crumble your cookies of presumed guilt. Yet, far from the simplicity of dropping mail off at a postal box, increased competition for attention IS disrupting your message’s delivery. Are you happy now with the admission?    

Pardon me if this cuts like a knife, but updating my FB status, joining the Twitter rage of the day and playing on Pinterest held more promise than the blabbering voices in my ear. And even in the off moment when no thumbing a text or uploading vacation pics took place, last night’s Patron-soaked celebrity event or upcoming Saks sale for which I’m ‘App Happy’ added ample distraction from Saturday’s boring banter. Hopefully, that’s all behind us now.

Awash in a new day, I’m convinced my recent medical diagnosis, ADDT, i.e., “Attention Deficit Disorder (due to) Technology, lines a healing pathway. So, with the offering of the truth and nothing but, can you finally see fit to forgive me?

S.         

Freelancer Warning: Before You Say Yes to the Project

During a recent gabfest with a graphics Goddess, the subject of an empty creative calendar cropped up. It’s not the first and it won’t be the last time I’ll hear a former solopreneur attribute the retirement of the boss badge to administrative burnout. Let’s face it, one who possesses a surplus of talent doesn’t automatically come equipped with the finesse of driving value and dealing with difficult clients. I mean, what freelancer hasn’t experienced the client who wants what they want when they want it but continuously balks at every turn?!

So, before you say yes to the project, ask yourself these questions to discern whether the project strikes a match:  

1.      Does the project ignite your fire? 

2.      Is the communication pipeline open?

3.      Is your communication style compatible with the client’s?    

4.      Is the client equally vested in the project’s success?

5.      How responsive has the client been to your requests?   

6.      Has the client raised numerous objections during preliminary discussions that you’ve failed to overcome?

7.      Can the work be accomplished within the expected timeframe?

8.      What is the potential for future work and/or referrals?

9.      How well does the project align with your previous experiences or capabilities?

10.   Does the client recognize your value?

11.   Do you have significant resources to execute the project?

12.   Is the budget sufficient?

Though experts disagree, the economy continues to stagger. Other than the 1%, who doesn’t need money to register a plus in the profit column? Should your responses yield more negatives than positives to the questions above, it could very well be that the project under consideration may not be for you. Furthermore, if you’ve made your best attempt to mediate some of the challenges to no avail, bypass this one. Despite the pass on income, no work is ever worth the loss of sanity.     

          

STOP: No Textese, Please!

The text message “JW, WAYD?” from a recent college graduate sent me scrambling for translation. Sure, I text, but it’s not life absorbing like it is for perpetually thumbing teens and young adults. After all, to hit communication bullseye, the messenger must be understood.

Does the limited acceptance of the acronym for “Just wondering, what are you doing?” signal an unconscious aim for communication’s abyss? Not necessarily, according to the Text4Science project brains who shrug shortcut laziness for creativity and imagination in language use.

As a writer, I’m all for giving creative props, yet, I’m unconvinced that texting will drive the literary skills development as researchers at the University of Tasmania in Australia proclaim. Although science may lend credence to texting as a learning tool, we can’t feign ignorance to the probability of the student’s inability to differentiate when usage is appropriate. Most teens and young adults just aren’t that savvy such that job applicants and employees of the youthful variety have been known to sprinkle cover letters and professional emails with textese. 

Seemingly, the message that there is a time and place for everything has been lost on this Anything Goes Generation. With the rising acceptance of pajamas in some public schools (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-pajamas-20120122,0,1735091.story) and profanity as routine language, educators are not only challenged with locking down creative ways to enhance learning but commanding standards that were once instilled in the home.

It may be the age of the microwave, however, self-respect and respect for others should always dictate behavior and a time and place for everything remains. Sorry dudes and dudettes, the language spawned from texting was never intended to be all purpose-applied.