I got my cell phone bill the other day and AT&T wasn’t kidding when they used the slogan, “Reach out and Touch someone!” I think my youngest son reached out and touched everybody in the state. His data numbers looked like a tote board on a public television telethon. He had 11,500 text messages in just 30 days. Thank goodness we have unlimited data! For the life of me though, I can’t figure out why texting is so popular. Sure I understand the occasional wife lost in the department store and you want to know where she is, but if you want to carry on a conversation, call for goodness sakes. If I wanted to play with a little screen, I never would have thrown my Etch-A-Sketch away.

I’m a people watcher; I can’t help it. I simply cannot go into a restaurant or walk a city park without watching how people interact. Frankly, I’m not seeing relationships like I used too. I think America’s lost the art of true conversation. It’s been usurped by text messages, friend requests for Farmville, email, and social media. What ever happened to honest to goodness, face to face, good conversation? I saw a cell phone advertisement recently that touted it’s unlimited data (texting) plan. It said in the commercial that it’s plan was, “the best way for families to communicate.”I can’t think of anything more impersonal than a mom sending her son a text message to take out the garbage. How about wedding vows exchanged by text message, can that be far off?

While eating out this past week at a nice restaurant, my wife pointed out three couples around us. She simply asked me to watch the level of conversation taking place between each of them. After studying them for a while I realized I’ve seen happier people waiting for a root canal.

Is it any wonder why romance is a dying art? Oh, we see plenty of stuff that masquerades as romance, Victoria Secret and Abercrombie and Fitch catalogs, perfume commercials ad nauseum. But this isn’t romance any more than a Black and Decker flyer can make you a carpenter.

For you young married couples, great communication leads to great romance. If you don’t make time for it, one day the following story could happen to you.

Two elderly ladies met at the launderette after not seeing one another for some time. After inquiring about each other’s health, one asked how the other’s husband was doing.

“Oh! Ted died last week. He went out to the garden to dig up a cabbage for dinner, had a heart attack and dropped down dead right there in the middle of the vegetable patch!”

“Oh dear! I’m very sorry.” replied her friend “What did you do?”

“I opened a can of peas instead.”

Word to the wise, cultivate the conversations with each other before you cultivate anything else. I’ve started a new exercise program thanks to my recent conversation with my wife. Three times I’ve asked her if we were going to have a romantic dinner this week and three times she told me to take a hike. I’ve already lost five pounds. See, it pays to cultivate the art of conversation. 🙂