Let's talk

Conversation has indeed been replaced by gadgets. God’s word said it is not good for man to be alone and then he made woman. He put the two together to be companions. He gave them the ability to speak which I would imagine was for a reason. I think conversation stimulates.

Being a writer, I know it is easy to forget the human need of one-on-one conversation. In person, with a steaming cup of coffee at my kitchen table is one of my favorite places to enjoy a person’s company. When the weather is warmer, I find relaxing with words goes well on my deck. As warm breezes soothe the senses so does the sound of the voice of a dear friend. The chatter of grandkids enhances my mood as well. Yes, we need the sound of the human voice.

I became very aware of the lack of human conversation as I traveled home from Alabama. At Pensacola airport I awaited my connection to the next destination, Charlotte, N.C. All was doing well, until Continental canceled a flight or two. There were six of us flying on employee passes which meant we would board after everyone else was seated. Standby flights are much cheaper but if a time schedule needs to be met, this is not an option. When I checked the day before the flight was to leave there were several seats available. Life changed in a very short space of time. I was not on any particular schedule but certainly was not looking forward to spending the night in the terminal. At the age of 74 curling up in a not-so-spacious seat did not strike my fancy. As you know, God is in control. He was working out the problem even before prayers were being said.

Three adults and two children were left waiting with me. The one difference for them was they needed to be ready to work the next morning. One was traveling to Detroit with her daughter, one was needing to be in Charlotte early to clock in. The man traveling with his son was from Peru and though he told me his destination I have stored it in the recesses of my mind. I do remember his son’s name was Antonio. Why do I remember it so well? The little chap had a mind of his own, listening to a different drum beat. His dad spoke his name over and over. Most of the time he was wasting his breath as Antonio was off in his own little world.

Due to my inability to walk quickly enough to get from point A to point B in ample time, I opted to use the service of a wheelchair. After a short time of walking my left leg is numb. Then also there is the added carry on luggage to tow as well as my purse. I have a hard time walking and chewing gum, so the wheelchair gave me clear sailing through the airport. We were a group of ill-fated travelers all with our own set of problems. I was not fretting as I felt all would work out for good.

The grownups seemed to be working out details. Because of their need to get to their destination it was suggested we all pitch in and rent a vehicle and drive to Ft. Walton which had wide open seating. The younger of the two women had no extra money and would have been left with her daughter in the airport overnight unless we split the cost of the van three ways. Was the choice hard to make? Not at all. If I had to stay overnight in the terminal I would have had to eat. Eating at the airport is like eating in a five-star restaurant without the ambience. Earlier I had a cold ham and cheese sandwich, some fresh fruit and coffee. I winced at the bill of $18.00. If I were not diabetic, I would have settled for an over-priced bag of chips.

I sat in the chair entertaining the little ones while the USAirway workers worked their magic. In order to keep Antonio focused I told him it was because of him we were getting to the gate at Ft. Walton in time to board the flight. We barely made it, but make it we did. Now things were looking up. I had a window seat and enjoyed the beauty of the view above the storm clouds below. The flight from Ft. Walton to Charlotte was uneventful and short. Once in Charlotte, each employee went their own way and I sat conversing with a lady who also was in a wheelchair. She had braces and I could only think how blessed I really am to only have to use a cane. While we talked a man was pacing back and forth, grumbling about how this airline was the worst he had ever seen. I purposely stopped him and told him, in my opinion, this is one of the best airlines. He continued to grumble. I felt he needed to take a deep breath and think of the possibilities of pending troubles that only God could see and in fact he was being protected from unforseen problems. Soon we boarded.

This is when I came face-to-face with the fact conversation between people is becoming outdated. I had an isle seat this time and was seated next to a very pleasant gentleman who indulged an old woman’s queries with light conversation. Soon I noticed his breathing had become rhythmic and he slept. There was one seat in front of us where a young man and woman talked.

In the left side of the plane I noted the choices those passengers made. In the first seat a man was reading a paperback book. Behind him a gentleman was reading something on a Kindle. The disgruntled man was next and had ear buds in his ear. Behind him, just across the isle from my seat a gentleman was playing games on an ipod while the woman next to him was playing games on her smart phone. The next seat back a man was reading a magazine. I sat there in amazement as I saw why conversation is becoming obsolete. Everyone was wrapped up in their own world, never curious about their surroundings. Completely lost in their own worlds they traveled. The only conversation was between one man and one woman. What a waste of a precious gift God gave to man. I don’t think He wants us so wrapped up in ourselves that we function without talking. We could just do away with our voice boxes if we fail to use them. I wonder if a voice box becomes obsolete without use?? Let’s talk about it.