I am Thankful for Skype

Cheryl has a Mac and I have a Dell. I use Aimpro; she uses the Apple program for video conferencing. They are not compatible. On Saturday night Cheryl installed Skype; I had installed it on my computer earlier trying to connect with her Apple. Skype is great and it is free.

I don’t like talking on the telephone. I want to see the face of the person with whom I am talking. Verbal communication conveys words and sounds communicating ideas and to a lesser degree emotions. I need visual input to feel I am getting the entire message. Otherwise I am frustrated.

We have used video conferencing for some time with Alethea and her family – Mac to Mac. We can see Camdyn doing gymnastics and Charlie being Charlie. The downer is looking at myself on the little screen, not a pretty sight.

Saturday was an exhausting day. I am behind on work and I was pretty down. My brain just wasn’t hitting on all cylinders. Cheryl and I have talked several times a day since she left on Monday and that helps but the Video truly lifted my spirits.

They say that hearing is the last sense to go when a person is dying (I wonder how they know). That may be true but for me it is easier to remember what my parents looked like than to remember the sound of their voices. Perhaps all of the old photos are informing my memory. I would love to hear their voice but I would prefer to see their smile. Put the two together and what I really desire is one more conversation – some of Mom’s cooking wouldn’t be bad either.

I love to look at my wife. I still get a little embarrassed when she catches me staring. It is wonderful to sit and stair into each other’s eyes. True intimacy is allowing someone to gaze into your soul while finding yourself in his/her eyes, knowing that what you are in their eyes is what you might become in your own.

Video conferencing is the closest thing to being there staring into each other’s souls. All that is missing is the aroma of perfume and the comfort of touch. Come to think about it, video conferencing may also have its down side. For now, I am thankful for opportunities to bridge the miles and see the one I love.

Cleveland, Tennessee
February 8, 2010
JDJ