Being present

We are distracted.

Wait for it . . . .

There it is. The shiny object. The squirrel. The electronic device.

Still with me?

Our attention spans shrink exponentially as we become more and more connected. We are afraid that if we put our phones away for more than two minutes, we will miss something more important than what is happening in our direct circle of living.

One of the hosts of an old radio show called Car Talk teased his co-host about learning HSL, Human as a Second Language. Although the first host was joking about the other host (who happened to be his brother) and his ability to communicate, the acronym seems appropriate in our electronic world today. Is Human becoming our second language?

Business people constantly check their phones during meetings, even in client meetings. College students do their homework on their phones. Job candidates prefer to click a mobile button to apply for a position. Recruiters use text and Facetime to conduct interviews.

Do we have to make these adjustments, with the onslaught of electronic communication? Well, yeah, probably. But we must also cling to that last bit of human language. We must remember to be present with other humans.

Let?s take a moment, to be present in that moment. Put down the phone and look up. See who is with you in the room. Tell them to put down their phones. Have a real, human conversation.

Send me an email and let me know how it goes (after you’ve finished your human conversation).