I don’t know if I ever would be as dependent on using the Internet as I have become if it hadn’t been for my daughter’s illness. When she was eleven years old, her jaw was broken while playing soccer. Unable to find a local doctor that could alleviate her constant pain, I turned to my contacts, all fifteen of them at the time, for suggestions on where to go for help. My mass emailing effort was then sent to their contacts and eventually I was led to a hospital where she was diagnosed with RSD. For the purpose of this blog I won’t go into the ins and outs of the disorder. But I will tell you it is a horrible neurological problem that she might have committed suicide over if not for the assistance of a certain individual I “met” online.
I generated that particular email in response to a need, which is the primary reason I initiate emails in the first place. It was formal, but definitely showed how desperate I was. Some other reasons I might email do not convey such dire emergency scenarios, but might escalate to an issue if my husband doesn’t stop by the store on the way home from work to pick up that ingredient I need for dinner that night.
Another reason I might communicate on line would be to respond to something I might have purchased, let’s say, from Half.com. If what I purchased does not meet the description of the material promised by the seller, I am all over that site, especially if it takes forever to get to my doorstop. I recently purchased a textbook from a seller in Virginia. It made its way to Bell, California, but then detoured to Missouri before arriving at my house. Gotta love the postal service.
Other reasons to communicate would be to interact with a friend to set up a lunch date or a hike (most preferred). A typical “conversation” would go something like this: “Heh, you free on Friday? Some trekers should be coming through on Bouquet Canyon. Thought you’d like to talk with them. Let me know.”
The least favorite of on line communication is when I demand answers. I am very formal and can admit to being on the verge of rude if I perceive being taken advantage of. Cordiality normally reigns, thankfully, so I usually get a quick response. However, I like to think a lot before I write and proofread before I hit send. It has sometimes taken me a full half-hour to write a three sentence paragraph before I do so. There is nothing worse, at least to me, than seeing a reply to my original email and noticing I have misspelled a word. Guess I am sort of a perfectionist, or so my children tell me.
My most favorite form of communication is forwarding jokes or other useful information to my best friends. I suppose this isn’t formal communication per se, but the recipients of my email at least understand I am thinking of them, which after all, is the purpose for communication in the first place, yeah?
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