Ever since the WhatsApp introduced the feature of the Blue Ticks for read-receipts, not only it has advanced the app but also made people more anxious over texting.
Ways of communication are getting easier day by day. Technology has developed multiple apps making every communication so quick and easy.
- But has it made it more intense and deep?
- Are the feelings really communicated?
- Do we really keep the patience to understand the person or we simply listen to reply? Always in a rush to reply before the other one does..!!
Pondering over this feature of Blue Ticks in WhatsApp, I noticed, how anxious and impatient I generally get when I receive blue Ticks but no reply.
Aggggghhh…!!!! You too can feel that. Right? Checking over and over again if we missed the message, or the internet is working, or the worst – getting anxious about what reply would come, or over-thinking the reason for no reply!!!
Noticing this behavior of mine, I decided to turn off the Blue Ticks and free up my mind of this. But the thought didn’t just leave me so easily!
But then something happened that completely changed my perception.
It was when my mother asked me to organize her almirah, I saw a file having my report cards, my school pictures, and to my amazement the letters that I wrote to her in college time. Letters! Yes!
You must be wondering who writes letters in this era. Haha, I used to!
I did my college in Banasthali Vidyapith and strangely mobiles were not permitted. Yes, there were public phone booths in every hostel and so were the long queues.
Seeing those letters made me nostalgic about how I just used to run to the terrace and write down my heart out on a piece of paper. Waiting for Tuesdays to post it. Yeah Tuesday, it was our week off! Banasthali was strange in every way…
Through Speed Post the letters were posted, my mother used to make a quick call on receiving the letter telling me that she had received my letter and would write to me back.
And after that, every now and then I used to ask the warden, “Jiji mera koi post aya hai qa?” And the moment she would say “Haan aaya hai, sham k snacks k time milenge sbko”, joy, and excitement used to rush into me.
While reading the letters I would feel my mom is talking to me, It wasn’t just a letter to me – It used to be her blissful hands, her pampering, Everything!
And then came my turn to reply, this cycle went on for four years of my stay in Banasthali, communication was limited yet was patient, deep and intense…
One, first understood, then responded. There was no rush! And since it was slow, it would never lead to any argument the way instant texting does, where people reply first and then later realize what the situation is and what should be the appropriate response.
Yeah in this growing world we can not switch back to writing letters and telegrams for daily and urgent communication. But we can surely feel the joy and excitement of waiting for the Post, just the way we wait for our parcels these days.
Hope you write to someone today and spread smiles!
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