The Need To Communicate.

It lives in all of us, this need to communicate, but I am convinced that in some people, the need is so overwhelming as to dominate their every moment of existence.
A poet once said “expression is the need of my soul” but that is not even really the aspect of communication that I am talking about here, today. The poet is most likely describing the need to formulate experience (whether imaginary or actual... or both) and transmit that experience outward in the form of his/her art. To express it. If we were to examine the roots of this word we would find that it is denoting movement above all things. Movement from the inward to the outward. It is this need for expression that is then combined with the ability to do something about it and a measure of inspiration and willingness to do so that makes a poet a poet.
But no, what I am talking about here is much more mundane.
I am not talking about poetry.
I am thinking today of the need to tell someone else of your current whereabouts, to laugh with someone about last night, to inform someone that you will be ten minutes later than expected. The need to remind yourself that someone knows you.
I am talking about connection, really.
I am thinking about the advent of the cell phone.
I believe that this form of personal communcation, and the immediacy of it, has perhaps robbed us of something, were we to only know it. Robbed us of a certain sort of sanctuary, a certain sort of inablity of interruption, if you will.
In other words, I wonder if the current plethora of cell phones in every pocket and purse does not indicate that we have become a people that desires interruption. We welcome a disruption to our reverie. If this is the case, I think this is sad.
It is altogether possible that what was once sanctuary, has now become, with the advent of the cell phone, if not altogether stolen time, at best, borrowed time. At any moment, whether you’ve got yourself set on ring or vibrate, you can be summoned to give someone else that time you are enjoying.
That word enjoying is the key though.
We have stopped enjoying that time.
My premise is that the cell phone has subtly changed our perspective on enjoying our own space and the freedom of solitude it brings, or once brought.
The cell phone industry thrives upon the fact that we do not want to be alone. We do not want to feel disconnected. We want everyone we know to have access to us, at all times. This is why the commercials are based upon the illusion that this is the desirable way to live.
The reason I am writing the above is very simple. I am sitting at a coffee place. A young woman just walked in minutes ago. She is attractive, dressed very nicely... and she just sat down at the next table to the left of me, and upon doing so, she set her little black leather purse in front of her, and began to tap her dainty fingers on the table.
Instantly, instantly, I said to myself.... “I give her ten seconds. Within ten seconds, she will pull a cell phone out of that little purse...... 10....9....8....7.....6......”
And there it was. You will think I am exaggerating, but I assure you dear reader, I am not.
She did not retrieve the phone because it was ringing.... oh no, she was retrieving her cell phone because (God forbid)... what if someone had called and she had not heard the ring? What if someone called while that bus drove by five minutes ago, and I did not hear my phone?
“I will surely DIE!”
And seeing that no-one had called her, what did she do? She called someone.
This is when I opened my laptop and began writing.
Now, it may sound that I am being overly critical of this dear person to my left, and maybe I am. The truth is, we ALL have the need to communicate. It is the very reason why I myself am writing this vignette, rather than simply thinking it.
But all I am saying is this: The next time you wonder why there is not much good poetry being written nowadays, just take a look around you, to the left and the right. And if you yourself are not on a cell phone at the time, just marvel at how many other people are!