Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Human to Human Contact


I recently read an article about a photographer named August Sanders (1876-1964). Through his view finder he captured the many faces of the German society in which he lived. Writer David Propson wrote in the Wall Street Journal that he captured “A universe of humanity in his restricted space.”

As I continued reading the article, I couldn’t help but recall a conversation that I had a few weeks ago with my daughter Morgan. I told her about a conversation that a woman engaged in with me at the grocery store meat counter. This was the second time that a complete stranger engaged in a conversation with me, only before it was in the produce department. Each conversation ended with “you have a nice day”! Morgan said that when she moved to Virginia she had the same thing happen to her, “I believe that is a “Southern thing.” We both agreed that we could hardly ever remember a complete stranger engaging in a conversation with us at the grocery store back home.

I am not sure if this engaging grocery store conversation by complete strangers is a “Southern thing”, but I would like to say that it is a very human thing. Each day we live our lives and connect with one another through an array of technologies, cell phones, Skype, Twitter, Facebook and hey check out this video on You-Tube. Along with internet news sites and Blogs that provide us with a wide range of topics. With the click of a mouse we can participate with a comment or chose to remain anonymous. Has all of this instant information/communication technology lessened our human contact?

Perhaps the reason why I was so startled by a complete stranger engaging in a conversation with me at the grocery store has more to do with the “old form of human to human communication, which is becoming so rare these days. As we continue to embrace and keep up with the ever changing technology that is apart of our day to day lives, I hope that we will still cherish the irreplaceable human to human connection.

The tomatoes are extremely ripe today…

“Wherever we live, we cross paths with people from many backgrounds and beliefs.” – Our Daily Bread 4.26.10



“Each contact with a human being is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it.” – Anais Nin





Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. - Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)

http://www.servicenation.org/


Photos by Trish: www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography

Photos For Purchase Courtesy of Redbubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/tmeian

A Photographers Journey: http://hubpages.com/profile/PhotoTljn7