h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Right now I'm in a love-hate relationship with my email. Or perhaps it's a flight or flight relationship. No many how many smileys or emoticons we create, they can not compare to actually hearing the words. Words are so much more than printed letters on a page.

When I opened my Pandora's box, I seemed to have missed a few compartments. Somewhere down there are words. Why can't I find them? I know I had them once. Unless they are d*amn lucky, no one can manage to get perfect scores on college entrance exams. I wrote for my high school newspaper for two years. You only got on staff by invitation! Where is that part of me hiding?

It certainly doesn't help that us 'mericans tend to be imprecise with our words to begin with. It has often infuriated me how much time my husband spends making sure someone understands just what he means when he uses a word. I can finally appreciate why he does that. Not that I can do the same. It is that male/female thing. To paraphrase hubby. Men have the words, but need to be able to find the emotions to express them. Women have the emotions, but need to be able to find the words to express them.

I spend hours agonizing over email, just to be misunderstood. Yesterday it spiraled out of control from there. I made the mistake of checking email before I left work and found out things had gotten worse. (Thank goodness my co-workers are used to seeing me in tears…they just assumed my pain level had spiked) At that point I had already spent 10 hours trying desperately to respond to the first email. I had managed four lousy paragraphs (short ones I might add). I spent another six hours staring at what I had written, only to finally delete two sentences ( I would NOT go into self-sabotage mode) and add a couple more in response to the additional emails. An awful lot of effort in the hopes of getting things right and the dreadful feeling that I blew it again (sigh). (And I didn't do such a great job explaining verbally just what my problem is - more worms) So, oh joy, I have something new to worry about today.

Well, I think I'll wait until later to open email. I can only handle worrying about one new thing at a time.

Why is communication so difficult????????????????

I'm sorry you got upset, Candy.

Communication is really difficult when you don't know how the other person's going to take it, or what they read from what you say. Damn, I wish I had more time online, so I could try to help more.

But I think you express yourself incredibly, given what it is you've been expressing. It'll become easier; please keep doing so, and don't worry too much.. easier said than done, I know.

Take care,

Love,