It just struck me.

You know the primary problem with electronic written communication is that often the speaker's tone is lost. Back in the olden days when folks actually composed letters to each other more time and care was taken to insure that the end result, when read, would convey the message originally intended.

I think this could also be said to carry into phone conversations as well since we’ve grown accustomed to being able to contact almost anyone almost anywhere at almost anytime. The lack of tone in this method of communication is even more distressing since the speakers are actually speaking. The mode of speech is often clipped and words are ejected in a verbal thrust and parry as a bastardized short-hand of english emerges:

“Uh huh.”
“Oh yeah.”
“Loaded.”
“Goin’.”
“Be there.”
“Later.”

The sad fact is we can totally reconstruct the other side of that conversation because we’ve all grown accustomed to truncated usage. I do bemoan the loss of the days when discussions were flavorful and full of wit as folks tried to actually deliver messages and dazzle their fellow conversationalists.

Now it’s time to deflate the pomposity and take a bit of wind out of this particular blowhard.

As I was driving to work today I was sipping my venti skim latte from Starbucks when the “Letters From Our Listeners” segment came on NPR’s Morning Edition and I caught myself whistling along to the theme song.

I so wanted to kick my own ass at that moment.