I was talking with someone the other day about the Fire Department. More specifically, they were asking me about some of my stories. Having been on for 9 years now, I’ve got a few stories to tell. They cover the spectrum as well. The good to the bad, the happy to the sad, the intense to the downright hilarious.
I recall one particular day when a call came in for “a tractor over the embankment, man trapped.” Living along the north shore of Lake Erie, it was easy enough to imagine such an event. Many of the houses on the lakeshore had steep drops to the water and sand below.
As we geared up in the back of the truck, responding to the scene, we began to discuss strategies. Really, we had very little info to go on. A tractor, for example, could be a lot of different things. There are a number of farms along the lake, then there is always construction equipment such as a front end loader. It was kind of hard to plan without knowing exactly what we were about to face.
While you’re riding, you begin to prepare yourself mentally, and physically, or at least, I do. I start to think about what I may see, what I may hear, what sort of obstacles I may face. I think about equipment, training, operating procedures and possible unknowns as well. I want to be ready for anything. On a call like this, the reality is, what we could potentially face could be unpleasant. Simply take a moment to reflect on the dispatch. ”Tractor over the embankment, man trapped.” It doesn’t take long to start visualizing potential scenes.
When we pulled up to the address, what we faced wasn’t even remotely close to what we were preparing for. We found a gentleman, sitting in a lawn chair, drinking a beer with his buddy. He was mowing his lawn, got a little to close to the edge, and rolled his riding lawn mower, which ultimately landed on his leg. I think it’s safe to say that we all simultaneously breathed a great sigh of relief, and then had a good laugh!
As I thought about this call, I couldn’t help but think about communication in general, and how easy it can be to lose messages and meaning in interpretation. How many times have you sent somebody an email, wrote on somebody’s Facebook wall, or sent somebody a text message and had them take it entirely the wrong way?
It’s amazing what a difference traditional communication can make over digital at times. A facial expression can convey a feeling. Vocal inflection can articulate a meaning. A laugh, or a tear can reveal an emotion. All of these things can be lost, or missed, in many forms of digital communication.
It’s ironic, to me, how much I rely on digital communication, and, how comfortable I’ve become with it. As somebody who makes a living communicating with his voice, who better than I, to understand the limitations of an email or a text message over a phone call or a face to face conversation. Communication is what I do. Delivering messages, expressing emotion, painting visual pictures through the thoughtful craftsmanship of words and inflection.
I’ve often wondered even with my little blogs, how differently they would be received by you if I were to post them as podcast, versus posting them as text. If you could actually hear me tell the story, would it mean something different to you? I suspect that it would.
I’ve recently met somebody who is encouraging me, whether they are aware of it or not, to expand my borders of communication. I’ve always been content, and comfortable, to send an email. There is certainly something to be said about the convenience of a text or a “tweet” or a Facebook post. That being said, there is truly something more personal and meaningful about a phone call.
If I were to be perfectly honest, there is a romance about it. I liken it to the difference between a handwritten letter and a typed one. The time and care that goes into a handwritten letter speaks a message of it’s own that goes beyond the words penned. In the same way, the way you speak, the words you choose, the manner in which you articulate, in a conversation brings about a life that would otherwise be lost on paper.
The next time you plan to make contact with friend or family, I’d like to encourage to turn off the computer and pick up the phone. If time and distance permit, pay them a visit. Meet somewhere for coffee. Have a conversation with them where you can walk away knowing that nothing got lost in translation.
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