Do you take the time to call?

**I_Like_Turtles** · 06-07-2020, 02:09 AM

Rare treat last night! A best friend from my high school days called and we talked about 3 hours. He's career Army, 22 years, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan veteran, master sergeant. We had some great times in high school! Getting into trouble, hanging out, our last "party" before he shipped out for basic......

Just great to actually TALK. See I hate texting. When he came to visit in 2014 I took him white water rafting and tipped the guide extra to "make sure we both go out of that boat." I used to bar tend at that resort and I've been on some two dozen boat trips....the one with my old friend was the most fun of them all. I had never had such "team spirit" on a boat trip.

We've agreed to get together at a ski resort whenever we can and do some skiing (I'm a ski instructor) but mostly we are going to drink! In fact my friend stated "drinking is the most important part."

I am still excited about that call! Just a great time.

So, does anyone here make time to actually talk?

**340pd** · 06-07-2020, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by I_Like_Turtles

Rare treat last night! A best friend from my high school days called and we talked about 3 hours. He's career Army, 22 years, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan veteran, master sergeant. We had some great times in high school! Getting into trouble, hanging out, our last "party" before he shipped out for basic......

Just great to actually TALK. See I hate texting. When he came to visit in 2014 I took him white water rafting and tipped the guide extra to "make sure we both go out of that boat." I used to bar tend at that resort and I've been on some two dozen boat trips....the one with my old friend was the most fun of them all. I had never had such "team spirit" on a boat trip.

We've agreed to get together at a ski resort whenever we can and do some skiing (I'm a ski instructor) but mostly we are going to drink! In fact my friend stated "drinking is the most important part."

I am still excited about that call! Just a great time.

So, does anyone here make time to actually talk?

Just curious, are you still in lockdown? Over the last month I have found most people are pretty much ignoring any mandates set down by governors based on the numbers that have come out over the Chinese virus proving all the models and predictions have been totally inaccurate. Nice to see kids playing together in parks and neighbors shoulder to shoulder rioting and looting.

**I_Like_Turtles** · 06-07-2020, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by 340pd

Just curious, are you still in lockdown? Over the last month I have found most people are pretty much ignoring any mandates set down by governors based on the numbers that have come out over the Chinese virus proving all the models and predictions have been totally inaccurate. Nice to see kids playing together in parks and neighbors shoulder to shoulder rioting and looting.

I don't think WV ever fully "shutdown" as we have better leadership here. Parks stayed open for instance, no "stay inside order." I think people would have gone into militia mode if such an order was given.

Friend that called lives in TX I believe. They didn't fully shutdown either.

Could not sleep last night and went for long drive. Toured nearby city. All motels pretty close to packed based on parking lots being so full.

**skiflydive** · 06-08-2020, 04:30 AM

I signed off the MOST TOXIC place on the planet last week. Facebook. I've seen good friends unendingly bitching at each other. They wouldn't normally but FB facilitates that and seems to encourage it in spite of their "mission" to unite the world. It's BS. Now I have more time to walk, bike, read, and go to my local range. I've been calling 2-3 friends every day to chat and laugh. It was the right decision for me.

**berettabone** · 06-08-2020, 07:07 AM

Biggest virus on the net..........................................for people with no life, and a need to tell everyone about every waking moment in their pitiful lives.

**I_Like_Turtles** · 06-08-2020, 08:12 AM

Very glad to read that sky and beretta!

Social media isn't really "social." Studies show (but you don't need a study to see it) that such mediums increase each person's natural narcissism. I believe what happens is people, especially insecure people, view social media as a sort of advertising company where their pictures and even posts are billboards. What that person wants is agreement and praise. If nothing else, they want others to see the billboard and that's enough. Anyone that disagrees with the billboard's message they see as a vandal that is spray painting graffiti on the billboard!

Myself, I want debate, I thrive on it. Only through vigorous debate can I get better......either I will get better at explaining my reasoning which will make my position stronger while sharpening my mental skills or I will be forced to admit I am wrong and change. Either way, I get better as a rational and honest person. Most people however, are too insecure for that. Most people, do not have a solid philosophy to their lives.....they decide positions largely on whims and emotions. There is no standard they make decisions by. These people are terrified of a debate as they have no evidence to cite. Many people simply operate on whim and whim alone.

Social media, combined with the smartphone, do enormous damage to the mind. They are addictive, increase ADD, decrease one's value for others (just "delete" them and get a new "friend"), users are more depressed, more lonely, suicides naturally increase. One is more likely (and has been for years) to be killed by a texting driver than by a drunk driver. The ease of "deleting people" causes the insecure user to wall themselves off into an echo chamber further isolating them and stunting their emotional growth.

Further and even more ominously, the large social media companies are extremely biased against conservatives....it was for that reason I left Facebook in 2017 and never looked back. I do not see a discussion forum or message board as "social media."

Finally, most human communication is body language (you retired police officers know this). Next most important is voice tone......we at least need voice tone to communicate well.

Anyone else like to hear the voices of your friends?

**yqtszhj** · 06-08-2020, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by skiflydive

I signed off the MOST TOXIC place on the planet last week. Facebook.....

Thats the truth. I never had Facebook.

And I hate text messages. If the text has more than 2 periods or it takes more than 2 messages to get the point across, it’s too long. make a phone call for crying out loud.