planted

I once knew an individual, who I will not mention, who prided himself as being a social anthropologist and coining a term for a generation within our century. For as much as this individual knew about humanity, there was a great void to be felt for what he knew about how to treat humans – as humans…not academic subjects.

The same can be said for the generation we’re growing up in now; millennials. Those slightly before and slightly after this generational wave can also find themselves impacted by this topic.

Hearing my door knock, I hoped the door to see a very large box standing outside of my door. Inside was a 2 cubic foot bag of Miracle Gro™ potting soil, purchased for the new palm tree on my patio. Standing outside and pouring in the soil, I realized that I knew nothing about palm tree care. Did I buy the right soil? How much do I water? Can I fertilize and get this thing to become huge? Questions.

What I’m realizing is that we live in a time where we know a great deal about what to do but not how to do it. Similar to the quote “it’s not what you said – it’s how you said it.” that often comes out in conflict, I feel we’re a generation that knows what to say but absolutely nothing about how to say it. 

No gift, date, or grànde gesture will ever replace looking somebody in their eye and telling them exactly how you feel about them. Acts of love are an increasingly distant shadow of actual love and respect. 

I can’t speak for women – as I am a man. But I feel that men are growing more out of touch with what it means to feel emotion, display love, and guard our values.

In the past, we would write long, handwritten letters to those we love, taking weeks and months to arrive – should we live apart. Now, we have instantaneous text messaging, Facebook messages, and video chat to make us feel as if we’re much closer and connected. In reality, these things have weakened our ability to understand what it means to think – really think – about what we’re going to say or write.

I can’t begin to count the number of Dyson vacuum cleaners I’ve bought for loved ones in the past. And I did so recently. While an excellent – and I mean, excellent – vacuum, it did a poor job of conveying just how I really feel on the inside. Even a Dyson cannot replace words telling somebody just how much you appreciate them for being in your life,  and it never will!

Featured Image From Deviantart