I just got through having a phone conversation that was a lot like a French farce. It was so frustrating that I am now having two cookies with my hot tea. ‘Round and ’round we went trying to settle a problem, with the other person in one place while I was running around, verbally, trying to find him.

We were at least on the telephone (landline, not cell) so we could have our word ping pong game. If we had been on email, as so many of us are so often, the so-called conversation would have never ended on the same day. So much gets misunderstood via email because there is often no review of the problem–no small talk or shop talk. Just the facts, mam. If you are going to have a satisfying, true dialogue there has to be some background presented and more emotion expressed.

The communication “experts” call what I just described as “straight talk.” I found a great article on this subject at the Iowa State University website.

I think that most of my adult life I have spent utilizing persuasive communication. I became an advertising copywriter right out of college. My job was to persuade people to buy some product or service. And I went from there into real estate sales where it’s all about persuading someone to buy or sell a home, land or business. My next move was to open an art gallery and try to persuade people to buy something that cost a lot, that they did not need, in the way they needed a roof over heir heads or food in their tummies. Moving on, I started an after-school reading program that had to have quite a few volunteers to make it work. I persuaded people to come and see the cute little kids and then the kids became the persuaders without even trying. I’ve always had plenty of volunteers. Who wouldn’t want to help kids learn to read?

Now I have written two books and am trying to persuade people to buy them. You can find the information at the side of this blog.

There are many means of communicating and many ways to do it. Talking, writing, laughing, crying, yelling, acting, even dancing and painting are just a few ways we can express ourselves. And to do this, we have phones (of many kinds), hand-held electronic gizmos, email (with blogs and websites and social networks), radio (if we can get on a show), and ditto for television. There’s also the stage and movies and art galleries.

The most important thing about communicating is that we each control what we want someone else to know. The ability and means to do this should be cherished. We’ve been given a lot more than a woof, meow, howl or growl. Let’s use it wisely.

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