let's communicate about communicating

a little over a month ago, i received a gift from a very close friend of someone very close to me: a small pin, shaped like a dove, on which was engraved the biological symbol of females. the pin was made by a group of israeli and palestinian women working together; it symbolized hope: for peace, cooperation and unity among the women of the middle east. the timing of this gift was, if anything, symbolic, too: i received it just a few days after the eruption of violence between israel and lebanon.

i've worn it every day since.

now, you might be thinking, this is a blog about the situation in the middle east. well, it could have easily turned into that. but, this is actually a blog about communication. see, that pin - the small, white dove, given to me by a woman i've never met, but whose passions and committment (from all i've been told) stand firmer than mine might ever - symbolizes something. it symbolizes my (and her) beliefs, passions, convictions. without words.

i was thinking about this the other day when someone made a comment about my political beliefs, referring to the pin i was wearing. they'd made an incorrect assumption, which got me to thinking about the difference between what we communicate externally to the world, and what internally we're trying to communicate - often two very different things.

and, which led me to thinking about the larger issue of communication, in personal, professional, and broader interacting-with-society spheres. with that pin, i was trying to say something without words. perhaps i succeeded; clearly in one case i did not. but still, i made a statement: one which, if followed by some discussion, could lead to some depth and meaning.

the thing is, it hasn't. people look at that pin and make assumptions, or, if they're actually interested, ask a question or two and then move on. i could take offense to this, but frankly, it's not worth it. and, i don't actually think it's a reflection on me. i think, rather, that it's the peculiar form of ADD that seems to have gripped the world at large: an inability to focus, discuss, or communicate in depth.

the modern wonders of technology are great - we can order products from halfway around the globe at 11PM in our pyjamas; we are always 'up to date' on the news; we can speak with friends across the country or the continent - or on different continents - with the clarity of a local phone call.
yet despite all of this - in our society it seems as though we're barely communicating at all these days. newscasts are mere soundbytes; newspapers publish stories with catchy headlines, but with little substance; conversations between people, although all the more frequent given the advent of cellphones, email and instant messaging (probably the worst culprit...), rather than being discussions of interesting issues, turn into quick check-ins, questions, and the like. discussions of depth, of interest, people who read books: these all seem to be the exception, rather than the norm.

frankly, i find it pretty depressing, although i certainly subscribe to modern communication culture myself often enough.

but can we find a way to change this? more conversations around the coffee table or at the bar, maybe? less time logged into the internet? time spent actively reading articles and books in depth rather than superficial newsclips?

i'll do it...who's joining me?