Month: June 2013

Let’s get this blogging started!

And so … apropos of nothing in particular and everything in general I want to bring up a current but socially complex topic.  I’ve been thinking about how technology has brought us closer together and yet further from our basic humanity. We’re in constant contact with each other, but seem so much more emotionally isolated. Our messages are shorthand, abbreviated, mostly lacking time and patience with the communication process. Texters are missing the quick smile, the frown, the questioning look. They are missing the importance of being a good, calm listener while their friend is thinking about what to say.  The human element has been taken out of our communication process. Type the facts, think fast, press ‘send’, wait for a beep and do it all over again. Our collective fingers have never moved faster, our brains have learned how to alter and condense language into series of nearly unrecognizable letters dots and dashes. It’s fast, it’s fact-based, it’s black and white. My old English teachers would be tearing their hair out over these culturally congruent travesties of the language. My old psychology and sociology professors would be dumbfounded.
Oh no, you’re thinking here we go again on another anti-change rant! Not really. I’m a “techie fan”. I text some, I email lots, I even started blogging, just now but I also think there can be some balance. Could we stop rushing about and talking about private things out loud in elevators while strangers are listening? Could we slow down and speak face to face sometimes and listen and think about what we’re saying? Could we formulate thoughts and sentences that take more than 30 seconds? Could we look at one another when we talk? Could we nod and say “uh ha” and make eye contact and be good respectful listeners? Why is it that people sitting together are texting each other and looking at phone screens rather than looking at each other? Why are people sitting together say in Starbucks and texting other people?  What’s with that? Talk about rude! Take away the phones and imagine you are sitting with a friend and ignoring them and talking to everyone else in the room? How do you think that would work out?  Clearly there is something about texting, emails and blogs that make communication easier somehow. But really folks, there is a price society is paying for all of this.  Complex thought has been reduced to a series of letters on a tiny screen. Meaningful heart to heart feelings and decisions have been reduced to 15 keystrokes and then ‘send’.

Healthy thoughtful discussions with complete well-formed sentences have been all but eliminated from our social shmorgasbord. We’re training our children to look down at their fingers and not up into someone else’s face. Let’s try to bring some humanity back into our world. How can we do that? I’m not sure. Not that I have the power to influence the technological tidal wave but at least we can ‘blog’ about it. What do you think?

 

First Plunge

Hi Everyone
I’m Nancy and I’m new to the blogging world so I want to say Hello!

I’m a life long animal lover, a long time psychotherapist and a brand new author. I’m excited to be sharing with you from all these aspect of my self as time goes on. I’ll share some of my animal stories and even be inviting some of my animals to be ‘guest bloggers’… just wait till you see what they have to say! I’ll be sharing some ideas that have evolved from my years of practicing psychotherapy, new and old observations about people and what makes them tick… and I’ll be sharing with you some ideas about writing as I plunge into the brave new world of authorship.

Looking forward to hearing from you and beginning some conversations on many different topics.

bye for now

Nancy

 

Woof! I’m Daisy

Hi everyone!
I’m the new gal on the block. Mom just adopted me from Golden Retriever Rescue.  We’re  both glad that I’m here now. She loves me and kisses me a whole lot. I’m still getting used to the way things are done around here. I used to live somewhere else but now I live here. I like it pretty well. I’m a really good sport, daaaa what would you expect I’m a sporting dog! I love everyone.  Big and little people other dogs and believe it or not I really like those cats too…especially Tahji he’s pretty wild and likes to hang out with me. Talia is pretty shy still but I’m not going to hurt her except if I step on her by accident…. really.

I love to run and play, ball especially. I’m a great retriever, another daaa what would you expect, right? I love to carry things stuffed toys around in my mouth and get petted. I love to be petted so the more people who come to visit the better it is for me. I’m smart and good. I love to go for walks and rides in the car and eat my dog food. Well I like to eat any food but mine is what I get the most.

Talk to you later

woof woof

Daisy

 

Tahji’s in the House!

I’m Tahji and I’m handsome, long-haired and part Siamese. I run this place! There’s lots of things to do for a cat like me. I have to make sure I get all the bugs that come in the house and look out the window to keep all the birds and squirrels in their place. And speaking of keeping things in their place, that fat girl cat who lives here now, well I spend a lot of time putting her in her place. I like to chase her. And I lick her to keep her clean and then I bite her if I can get away with it. Truth is I like to bite PERIOD.  It’s fun. I think of it as nibbling but Mom doesn’t like it too much, she calls it biting.
I’m the boss you see, even of that big dog who lives here now, Mom calls her Daisy. She’s pretty cool but not as smart as me. I like dogs pretty much. I think of myself as a dog sometimes cause I follow my Mom around and greet people who come here. I get into everything. I like to sit on the refrigerator, walk on the keyboard, open closet doors and run in front of her down the steps trying to trip her. And I love to scare the snake and sit on the lizard’s cage. These reptiles have to be kept in their place you know, so I keep my eye on them. I have a really busy schedule. If I have time, I’ll blog again just to keep you up to date on how things are going over here.  see ya around… Tahji

 

And Here’s Talia…

Hi I’m Talia — as you can see I’m a beautiful fat kitty. I’m one of those cats people call a ‘lap cat’, but you have to have a pretty big lap for me! I love to be petted and I purr and purr. I love my cat food too and I meow in a special way that makes everyone run to get me my cat food! I’m pretty convincing.  Sometimes I get extra meals that way. My Mom got me from a shelter and I’m really glad that she did. My cage was really small there and I didn’t like staying there.
I like it here pretty good except for my brother cat who can be really bossy. He likes to start  licking me and then gets carried away and starts biting me! Then I yowl really loudly and my Mom yells “No! Tahji Bad Cat” at him and he runs away. My Mom loves me a lot.  She thinks I’m a good Kitty.  I look at her with my big GREEN eyes and she just melts. I love to sit on her lap so she can brush me. I have long fur and it keeps her busy getting the tangles out.

We have this big dog who lives here now too. That dog makes a lot of noise when she’s running around I get worried that she’ll step on me so I run away really fast. I can move faster than you’d think I could. Oh and one other thing, I like feet and shoes. Well, I love them really. Mom says I have a shoe fetish, whatever that is. I roll on people’s shoes, and put my paws in them and sleep on them. I guess I’m just a girly girl with a shoe fetish.

Well it was fun blogging with you, I like chatting this way. I’m just a chatty Catty! Bye Bye for now –Talia (purr)