Tuesday, March 17, 2020
“It is my turn to call you next time.” That is what my friend, Rene, said to me before we ended our phone call yesterday. Rene and I used to work together before I started my own business, and we have kept in touch semi-regularly since. The only reason we still communicate is because Rene does all the work. I like Rene a lot and really enjoy our conversations; however, I almost never call him.
When Rene still lived in Colorado Springs, he would sometimes stop by with some Jimmy John’s and chat with me for an hour or so after we both left our mutual job. His wife is a wonderful woman and a fabulous cook. She and Rene moved to Alabama last year, and I do have their phone number, but I have not called since they moved. Fortunately, Rene is very social and calls me every few months to catch up.
Rene and I share a birthday month, 20 years apart. If Rene emailed me, I would respond more often, but he has always been a relationship person and does not to like to use computers for communication. Rene was a salesperson and understands the value of person-to-person contact. I get it; our phone conversations are much more interesting than an email exchange would be.
Yesterday Rene told me he only keeps in touch with two people from our office anymore. We chat about our families, mutual acquaintances, and politics. We are both politically conservative, and he leans a little more right than I do. We are both very practical; however, and support some politically liberal ideas. We both believe our health care system is broken and one of the biggest issues is that insurance is mostly tied to employment. We do not necessarily agree on the best way to fix it, which is the same as the politicians.
Yesterday we talked about airline bailouts and we actually agreed they should not happen. I happen to have read an article in the New York Times in the morning that advocated for performance strings to be placed on bailouts of large companies, American Airlines in particular. Rene felt the big airlines should not be rewarded for bad business decisions after they were bailed out after 9-11. He reasoned that air travel was necessary and someone who has made good business decisions could buy an airline for cheap after it files for bankruptcy and the new company will hire all those laid-off employees. I think both ideas have merit. I would be more sympathetic toward the airlines if they had an emergency fund to use first.
Rene told me I was his most bizarre friend. Mind you, he started the call telling me he had finally read a few of my journal posts online, and said I was the strongest person he knew. After he told me I was bizarre, Rene told me that a person cannot be insecure and be my friend. I agree with that statement. Rene said it was because I rarely reach out to friends casually. He pointed out an insecure person might construe that lack of outreach as a sign I do not really like them.
I rarely reach out to people casually. If you call me, I will talk your ear off and really enjoy our conversation. I am such a loner; I do not crave connection often. When my friend, Crystal, brings her daughters over for a playdate, we chat the entire time, yet I do not call her between playdates. That does not mean I do not need connection. I expect to actually make calls before this social distancing period has finished, because one of my networking groups has switched to online meetings and I am sure the other will cancel our April event.
My piece of advice to you is to reach out and touch someone with a phone call, a video chat, or talking through a closed window at their house. We are all going to need to get our souls filled during our isolation and social media and email are probably not going to do it.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
“It is my turn to call you next time.” That is what my friend, Rene, said to me before we ended our phone call yesterday. Rene and I used to work together before I started my own business, and we have kept in touch semi-regularly since. The only reason we still communicate is because Rene does all the work. I like Rene a lot and really enjoy our conversations; however, I almost never call him.
When Rene still lived in Colorado Springs, he would sometimes stop by with some Jimmy John’s and chat with me for an hour or so after we both left our mutual job. His wife is a wonderful woman and a fabulous cook. She and Rene moved to Alabama last year, and I do have their phone number, but I have not called since they moved. Fortunately, Rene is very social and calls me every few months to catch up.
Rene and I share a birthday month, 20 years apart. If Rene emailed me, I would respond more often, but he has always been a relationship person and does not to like to use computers for communication. Rene was a salesperson and understands the value of person-to-person contact. I get it; our phone conversations are much more interesting than an email exchange would be.
Yesterday Rene told me he only keeps in touch with two people from our office anymore. We chat about our families, mutual acquaintances, and politics. We are both politically conservative, and he leans a little more right than I do. We are both very practical; however, and support some politically liberal ideas. We both believe our health care system is broken and one of the biggest issues is that insurance is mostly tied to employment. We do not necessarily agree on the best way to fix it, which is the same as the politicians.
Yesterday we talked about airline bailouts and we actually agreed they should not happen. I happen to have read an article in the New York Times in the morning that advocated for performance strings to be placed on bailouts of large companies, American Airlines in particular. Rene felt the big airlines should not be rewarded for bad business decisions after they were bailed out after 9-11. He reasoned that air travel was necessary and someone who has made good business decisions could buy an airline for cheap after it files for bankruptcy and the new company will hire all those laid-off employees. I think both ideas have merit. I would be more sympathetic toward the airlines if they had an emergency fund to use first.
Rene told me I was his most bizarre friend. Mind you, he started the call telling me he had finally read a few of my journal posts online, and said I was the strongest person he knew. After he told me I was bizarre, Rene told me that a person cannot be insecure and be my friend. I agree with that statement. Rene said it was because I rarely reach out to friends casually. He pointed out an insecure person might construe that lack of outreach as a sign I do not really like them.
I rarely reach out to people casually. If you call me, I will talk your ear off and really enjoy our conversation. I am such a loner; I do not crave connection often. When my friend, Crystal, brings her daughters over for a playdate, we chat the entire time, yet I do not call her between playdates. That does not mean I do not need connection. I expect to actually make calls before this social distancing period has finished, because one of my networking groups has switched to online meetings and I am sure the other will cancel our April event.
My piece of advice to you is to reach out and touch someone with a phone call, a video chat, or talking through a closed window at their house. We are all going to need to get our souls filled during our isolation and social media and email are probably not going to do it.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.