I returned today from a conference at which every school superintendent in the state of Tennessee was present. The agenda for the last day had a musical theme, though no one sang.
I noted one of the session titles alluded to Elvis Presley’s song “A Little Less Communication.” Many of you, Dear Readers, might find this song worthy of a listen on YouTube. I just listened to part of it, and I don’t consider it one of Elvis’ best. I did a Google search for the lyrics, parts of which are interesting.
A little less conversation, a little more action, please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart . . .
Don’t procrastinate, don't articulate . . .
What I seem to be finding lately is that there is a need for greater communication at every level. There needs to be more meaningful conversation that leads to effective action. The world would be in better shape if there was “a little less fight and a little more spark.” and less procrastination.
The interesting thing about communication is that there are many who speak when they would be wiser to remain silent. Others remain silent when all might profit from what they have to say. The life we lead is about relationships, and productive relationships do not thrive without effective communication. For purposes of this discussion, I define “communication” as “understanding, comprehending intended meaning.”
History would point to cave paintings as a primitive form of initial communication. At some point the spoken word came into play. The Bible points to a major miscommunication between God, Eve, the serpent and Adam that resulted in the eating of the forbidden fruit.
This unfortunate incident led to the introduction of sin into the world, a separation between God and mankind. Obviously, mankind wanted to return to fellowship with God, but in the arrogance of believing that construction of the Tower of Babel would allow people to reach God through physical means, their languages were confounded and they could no longer communicate.
Even more fascinating is that in our modern world people who speak the same language cannot communicate. The problem often worsens with age and hearing loss. Three elderly gentlemen were walking down the street. One said, “It’s windy today.” The second responded, “No, it’s Thursday.” The third replied, “Yes, I’m thirsty, too!”
Many times, however, failure to communicate is more complex than hearing loss and other physical or mental ailments. Perhaps this is because of the increasing complexity of ways in which people communicate. Such complexity increased proportionately when communication evolved from pictorial to verbal to written representations of speech. Many a fine lawyer lives well today because of legal interpretations and misrepresentations of the written form of the spoken word.
Just in the 1900s, means for communicating changed drastically. Telephones were one to a house (for those who could afford them). They were connected on “party lines,” meaning that several people shared service. Anyone could listen to the conversations of anyone who had access to the line. Not only was there no expectation of privacy in this manner, but the phone in a home was usually centrally located in the house where anyone could hear at least one end of any conversation.
In those early days, newspapers and magazines were more prominent means of communication, though news was often several days or weeks old before those who lived in rural areas received it. These publications were usually written with adults as the intended audience.
Production was greatly enhanced by the development of the typewriter, a device that is now practically obsolete, though many of us took typing as a high school course. We started on manual versions, driven by pounding keys and returning carriages. Mistakes were corrected with a typing eraser, though one had to be careful not to scratch a hole in the paper.
Later, liquid “whiteout” was available for correcting mistakes, though care had to be taken not to “glob on” too much so that it could dry before typing over. Many is the time I used too much, then touched it with my thumb, leaving my print on the paper and my thumbs and fingers coated with white or ledger green correction fluid.
The lack of radio and television in our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ childhoods meant they had little idea of the world just a few miles from their homes. When radio initially became available, there were many who could not afford one.
Several members of a community would assemble at a store or home to hear the most recent news or entertainment. They listened to big bands, entertainers, comedians and presidential speeches.
Radio evolved from hard-to-tune AM stations to FM stations with stronger signals. The number of stations increased from a handful to an astounding number of selections. Those who lived in the first half of the twentieth century created mental pictures of what they heard, as the luxury of television did not exist until the 1950s.
Children “played outside” in the hot days of summer, interacting with each other to recreate the programs they heard on the radio in their unique versions.
During World War II, movies became available in some areas for entertainment of our ancestors as Saturday matinees. The movies were often threaded with newsreels sandwiched between westerns and cartoons. Many of the cartoons (notably “Popeye the Sailor”) were dominated by war themes.
As the country’s population exploded after the war, so did the need for more effective means of communication. The first computers available to the general public were nothing more than mathematical calculators. At first these were hand-cranked, usually owned only by accountants, bankers and bookkeepers.
These gave way to nine-volt, battery powered, handheld calculators that performed only the most basic functions. Initially these could cost upwards of a hundred dollars; with eventual wide availability, coupled with increased demand, the price dropped to just a few dollars. Later versions of calculators were solar powered, no longer requiring the replacement of worn batteries.
Today calculators are built into personal computers. The earliest computers were huge, practically unattainable by the average person. As with calculators, initially computers were cost prohibitive. From these humble beginnings we have evolved to the point that practically everyone has access to their own personal computer/iPad/laptop, etc.
As time progresses, the size of computers seems to shrink in proportion to the ever-increasing capabilities. Alexander Graham Bell would never have been able to fathom the kind of phones to which the general public now has access. Our phones are not only communication devices but are also highly sophisticated computing devices. Even my parents would not have known what “internet” and “Google” mean.
Communication, which was never easy, is now more complicated than ever—not the act of sending information, but the means of conveying feelings and interacting with individuals. Providing information is not the problem—understanding and comprehending intent is the issue.
People “date” online, though they have never seen their mates in person. We “Facetime” with relatives and others we have never seen in person. How ironic—with the greatest access to means of communication ever witnessed in the world, it seems people are becoming increasingly distanced from each other.
Perhaps Elvis had it right. Maybe the world is experiencing less communication, and sometimes “all this aggravation ain't satisfactioning.”
I leave you with a few thoughts I’ve received in emails, Dear Reader, until I have the privilege to meet you once again through the written word.
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
Even so, half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.
The first novel ever written on a typewriter was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
“Your call is very important to us. Please enjoy this 40-minute flute solo.”
Communication—A voice from the past to lead us into the future:
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the White House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time.
He made this statement:
“This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House, with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
At 31, Thomas Jefferson wrote the widely circulated “Summary View of the Rights of British America,” and retired from his law practice.
At 32, Thomas Jefferson was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
At 33, Thomas Jefferson took three years to revise Virginia’s legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.