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Cover Story: How important is communication?
To reach out and share one’s feelings, emotions, ideas and problems with others has been a need for the human race right from the beginning. The Neanderthal man communicated first with signs and gestures and then with crude language. As their brains evolved to higher intelligence, they formed better and more suitable words for different situations. Then we have drawings and scenes depicting different happenings in their daily lives and even messages drawn on cave walls.
What exactly were the early humans trying to do? They were actually “reaching out to touch someone” by communicating with their fellow human beings. When writing became commonplace as cultures improved and advanced, letters and parcels were sent by mail from one place to another.
As decades and even centuries went by man’s communication skills became better and more advanced. With the advancement in technology, it became easier to relay information over vast distances in short periods of time. The invention of radio, for instance, brought a small box-like tool which told us about what’s happening in the world, entertained and spoke to us right in our own homes. The telegraph sent out messages to relatives and friends in minutes. Man’s desire to stay in touch with people and places was satisfied.
And the miraculous telephone, at any time and place could put us in direct and private communication with any and everybody. “Give me a call” is probably one of the most common phrases used in the world. It is like being right next to the person who is being spoken to. And in a matter of seconds and minutes many feelings are exchanged. In fact, if there is something that one cannot say to another person while they are face to face, the telephone makes it much easier. And if someone is really angry about what you said, it would not be possible to “punch you in the face” for your audacity! But take my advice; try to solve matters in a peaceful fashion as much as possible as you never know what will happen the next time you actually meet that person.
Advanced technology
With the advent of the Internet, immediate and efficient communication can be accomplished with emails. Surfing on the Net can provide us an insight into any topic or subject in the world and online chatting can be a great way of sharing and debating ideas. Webcam, which enable you to see the person you are online with, is a wonder of latest technology.
I must not forget to mention here another most useful wonder of modern technology, the mobile or ‘cell’ phone. As much as it is a wondrous tool of communication that you can carry around in your pocket or purse, it can be dangerous while speaking to someone while on the road. Whether you are driving a car or walking on the road, make sure you keep your eyes on the road and one ear towards the traffic sounds.
Person-to-person communication
But how easy is it for everyone to convey their feelings to another person or share their problems? It is okay to talk about the various aspects of civilization and about what’s happening all around the world but to be able to share your feelings openly and to speak to someone else about a problem is not that easy, even with all the convenient tools at our disposal. More often than not it always helps to share a problem with someone whom one can trust.
In this mode of person to person communication, it is best to talk things out with one’s parents. No matter how big the generation gap, they know that they, too, were young once and will try and give the best possible advice. And since they have age and experience on their side, one can learn a great deal from the stories they have to tell about their own lives. However, if it does not seem appropriate to talk about some particular problem with one’s parents, then speaking with an uncle or an aunt with whom one is close, can also be another alternative.
Another very important aspect is speaking to your teacher or headmistress in school. You will be surprised how well our teachers know us. Though they are concerned with our academic progress, they can very often understand our personalities better than others and can be great counsellors. Some schools even have counsellors who help children sort out their problems.
And then, of course, there is the trusted friend. But one must make sure that the friend is indeed trustworthy enough to give the right advice and not announce it to the rest of the world. It is very important to have good friends. Though we communicate with a lot of people on a formal level, not everyone can be a true friend. If you have one with whom you can talk comfortably about your feelings without the danger of being betrayed, consider yourself very lucky.
For people who are not so social personally and stay more in touch with technology, there are many avenues there too. For example, there are call-in programmes both on radio and television, not to forget the online computer help-lines. Here, people can call in and speak to people in related fields about anything they want to know. Moreover, newspapers and magazines have help and advice columns, which answer queries from trivial and important problems to birthday wishes for friends and family. Even views about the articles that have been printed, can be given.
Conveying sentiments
In this communication frenzy society, courier services too do not stay behind and flowers, cakes and even mangoes can be sent to your loved ones through these people who deliver your ‘sentiments’ to the doorstep of the delighted recipient.
With all these various forms of communicating with one or more people, the most touching is still a good old-fashioned hand-written letter. I must relate here how a letter holds emotional fulfilment. My daughter speaks every week to her grandmother, who happens to be in the USA. A few months back, I suggested that she write a letter to Amma (as she fondly calls her), and send it with someone leaving for America. She was a bit reluctant, as she was not very confident about writing a letter in Urdu. But with a little help she managed to write a small account of the happenings back home.
We had no idea that the few lines that our daughter had written would give so much pleasure to her grandmother. It was the only thing she spoke about during her next conversation with us on the phone and said that it had moved her to tears as she held her beloved little grand-daughter’s handwriting in her hand. Specially, since she had taken the trouble to write it in Urdu so that she could read it. Sometimes, we do not realize the importance of reaching out and making our feelings known. As more and more families and friends move far away in these ever- increasing times of globalization, it is very important to communicate and find a way to stay in touch.
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