It may seem odd to have a tech person preach the value of getting away from our electronic gear, and ironically it is right now an early Saturday morning, and birds are calling me outside… It is cold, however. When I’m done here, I’ll head outside for a walk.

I heard recently that a public school is now offering a course in “human interaction.” While on one side I am glad to hear that someone in the education system recognizes this need, it points out something we are missing – to the point that we apparently need to teach it as a basic course of study, like arithmetic or spelling.

Take it a step further to a Chicago 5th grade class that is teaching, exercising, and role-playing emotional discussion. Yes, 5th graders are learning, in a classroom, how to listen to each other’s problems, to express empathy and provide emotional support. Wow! (Here’s a link to that story: click here)

So, what are we missing by emailing instead of calling, by texting instead of going out, by tweeting instead of meeting?

We are missing the body language that people sorely need when communicating: the handshake, the smile, the millions of variations of facial expression that connect people. We are also missing the many moments that God provides us every day: the blue of the sky, the call of the birds, the fact that here in Connecticut one can travel less than a mile and be in relative wilderness, surrounded by beauty.

I dare you: commit to less face time with your phone, and more face time with people and places. Don’t miss it!

(Photo courtesy Cool Design, freedigitalphotos.net)