The Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere: Texting in leu of a phone call!

Our social scene columnist Pamela Baur reports that some guys are putting themselves on the bridge to nowhere…

I struggle a bit with this post in regards to how I can make this reflection “Rye centric”, but to be honest, this perspective is prevalent and shared among young women across Westchester county, the state, and country – and no, it has nothing to do with Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential candidate – I’m talking about texting, and how this short-cut in communication is cutting short the quality of our connections, specifically romantic connections between men and women.

As I write this on the town green in Rye in front of the library, I realize it’s an appropriate place to think about getting back to basics in communication.

The library, an institution representing history, tradition, and symbolic of the extra effort we used to put forth in order to gain knowledge, is indicative of what we need to stay in touch with in this age of technological short cuts.

Texting, online- chatting and facebooking are casting a shadow over our conversations and ability to connect with each other, and are prime examples of what is often faster and easier, does not equal what is best!

Here’s a secret guys, women appreciate effort! We may have let the flowers on the first date standard slide (which by the way ladies I think we need to bring back in a big way! – and guys Greene & Willow Flower Shop in Rye is a great option!) but come on… texting instead of calling!?!?

It’s refreshing when people are vulnerable and able to put themselves out there in dating and relationships.  And I think we can all agree that we don’t exchange numbers so we can get a text message rather than a call (especially one that is a paragraph long asking questions which are clearly more suited for a real conversation.)

I went as far as to tell a guy last week I was canceling text messaging on my phone because even after saying I prefer to speak rather than text a conversation, he still didn’t seem to get the hint!

Keep texting short and sweet, I’m not saying eliminate text messages all together, they serve as a great way to send a note or message when you’re in a loud restaurant or “hey I’m running late, be there in five minutes…” kind of message. But let’s not hide behind our phones, emails, or facebook profiles, let’s bridge the communication gap!

This quote which appeared on my Starbucks venti cappuccino highlighting a quote from Tom Brokaw says it best:

THE WAY I SEE IT #130: “It will do us little good to wire the world if we short-circuit our souls”.

Pamela Baur has enjoyed living in Rye since 2007. She works as a project manager with a local entrepreneurial business development firm.