Communication: A bridge or a breaker
One of the constant complaints that my teachers had was “she talks too much”. Again, on days that I was absent, I heard later that the teachers inquired after their “talkative” student. A gift or a curse? Being able to make oneself understood is essential to every one of us. Whether we talk, or gesture, whether we raise eyebrows depends on the situation we are dealing with. Communicating with our fellow beings helps clear doubts, bring in new ideas and in general relieves our minds. Introverts might argue, but to each his or her own.
We live at a time when every second is of essence. An occurrence led me to believe in the essentialness of communication. I was in a lift the other day when at the last minute a man rushed in. The lift man asked for the floor number and the man reacted angrily. “I go up and down every day. Can’t you remember?” As the bewildered lift man lowered his head, it kept me wondering — wouldn’t it have been easier to just tell the number?
Communication affects our everyday life — be it at home or at work. A lot of problems not only get solved but do not arise in the first place. The relationship between a motherin-law and a daughter-in-law and the problems thereof are age-old. We have families breaking up and in the end, no one comes out as the winner nor are they happy. Have we ever sat down and thought what would it be like if we could just talk it out? Both come from different families and each family has its own set of rules. So, are adjustments, acceptance and coexistence really impossible? Or is it the reluctance to talk, discuss, understand and be understood and respected too much for our ego to bear with? Sad, when only a few words could solve the unhappy situation.
At our workplace, we are competing forever. There is no scope for a mistake. Often instructions given are not whole. Loops and gaps make interpretation to vary. And woebegone an the employee who makes the mistake. He just might find himself jobless the next day. We are cursed by “spoilt for choice”. It renders us reckless. What we do not realise is we might be the next to fall.
A lack of communication or rather the feeling that “I do not need to speak more”, makes us disrespectful towards others. We live under the assurance that a replacement is always there — you just need to ask.
Talking can solve matters
“Talk to me and not to others about me, when you have a problem with me” — these lines in a recent Facebook post caught my attention. So true! It really solves matters. It is so difficult to build and so easy to break. So can’t we make an effort to keep it rather than tear it down? And who knows, misconceptions may cease and relationships might solidify and keep our minds light and our hearts fulfilled.
Parents do not need to be told why their child is crying. The realisation is instant — whether the child is hungry, hurt or feeling low. As they grow up, we need to develop an environment whereby this realisation never fails us. Keeping channels of communication open is the only way. While the kids feel safe and happy, we parents feel a peace of mind. We can thank ourselves for ensuring a free communication line. This helps us to build a strong, secure future as the kids come out to be sure footed.
The world it seems is being engulfed by hatred and perceived threats — which if the lines of communication were left open might not have been there in the first place. We could have resided fearlessly, happily and remained strong. We could have used our time in far more productive ways. It leads us to wonder, should we not use communication as a bridge rather than a breaker?