COMMUNICATION FOR THE AGES by Loracoak

The greatest problems facing our world today have resulted from the lack of communication. Communication is the basic tool for the success of life on this planet, and the continuation of humanity. Every form of life, even from the microscopic realm, relies on communication for survival and every form of life has developed a personal form of communication. Humans possess a most unique gift, as we incorporate the power of reasoning with our ability to communicate with each other.
We recognize the need for communication in our daily lives, yet so often we tend to ignore that need. From our earliest beginnings in childhood, as we learn to comprehend language and reaction, we are pushed to strive toward the get-more-and-keep-more mentality. Parents start training our children to win at any cost. You witness it almost daily in organized little league sports. Parents, proud of their young protegees playing a game. The game is designed to allow the young players to learn how to function as a team unit, give players high self esteem, and allow positive socialization skills to develop. Parents show support by yelling encouragement from the stands, tailgate parties and late road trips to neighboring towns. They recognize the tremendous effort being put forth by a pee wee league still struggling for eye and hand coordination or even understanding signals for the right direction. Often, in the heat of the game when one team has to lose, or the referee makes a bad call, these same proud parents lose all perspective and any respect they possess for the game or the children. They throw coke cups onto the field, or jeer and shout profanities at the opposing team of six-year-old athletes. “Kill ‘em…… Hit ‘em harder……… “F--- the ref.” This spectacle becomes the younger generation’s blueprint and early instruction manual in the art of communication.
Parents seem surprised as these same children grow up to be bullies in the school system, or participate in unsportsmanlike conduct as they spray-paint the side of a rival school bus, or let loose a stink bomb in the other team’s locker room on game night. This type of action, although openly discouraged by parents and administrative school personnel, is often rewarded with a slap on the back and a thumb’s up in private. This encourages the future, the stab-a-friend-in-the-back attitude, which our children carry with them through their entire adult lives. These forms of communication become the preferred technique in playing the game of life.
Being in a personal relationship is always challenging and complicated at best. It can be kept alive with strong communication, yet most relationships crumble because there isn’t an honest or open channel between one another. We literally refuse to communicate, usually because of the way we were groomed to communicate during those early informative years. Somewhere in our need to be ourselves, we developed an overpowering fear that told us if we open our hearts toward one another, we’ll lose our individualism. Perhaps we fear, if we trust enough, or share too much, our partner will have an upper hand, learn our weaknesses, and take total control. Until we can learn to communicate with ourselves honestly, we will never be able to communicate with anyone else. So much can be saved, if we only take a moment to communicate.