MSN

MSN.
Instant messaging.

I definilty was caught up in this craze over the past few years and chatting became more and more popular, and it was an easy way to stay in touch with friends.

In my OAC year, my friends and I would just talk for hours on MSN trying to make plans of what we were going to do that night or that weekend as we were all very bored...but also very fixed on just staring at a screen and watching conversations flash by. And it was also very sad considering that I went through high school with the same group of friends (as most of us hadn't moved in our lives and grew up in the same house) and we were all within a 5 minute driving radius of each other...good ol' East York.
I would find myself trying to work on essays or ISU's but being distracted by the little icon on the bottom of my right hand screen. I don't even want to try and think of the many hours I wasted just moving my fingers around on a little keyboard....

Over the past year or so though...I've been finding MSN more annoying then anything. I'm sure anyone who has used MSN for any length of time can relate to the experiences I've had in converations with friends over instant messaging. For instance...my friend is being sarcastic or telling a joke, but I misinturpt the emoticons that they're using and take offense...or vice versa. Or I'm trying to offer a friend some support...but they can't see my facial expressions nor can I give them a supportive hug, so the best I can do is type ~hug~. Or maybe a friend just told a really funny joke...but the best I can do is say lol..which really does not express just how hard I am currently laughing. And the list of frustrations can go on....

I now spend rarely anytime on MSN as I don't find it as appealing as I did 2/3 years ago. But as well, I came to the realization a couple weeks ago that I can EASILY waste an hour or two sitting at the computer...but when it came to spending time in devotion or writing in my prayer journal, I always seemed to be stuck for time. I realized there was definilty something wrong with my priorities so I gave up MSN completly for a week. And guess what? I didn't miss it!
I mean it is a handy tool for talking to friends who are away for school, or a friend I have in England, or a couple friends I have in BC....but besides that...it is a complete time waster...time that I should be spending on something else.

And over the past year I've also realized just how much I love talking to people...and not on MSN..a real face to face conversation. Really...a good conversation with someone could change around my day. Whether it be someone I'm just meeting for the first time, or a life long friend, a good talk just seems to give me that satisfaction that I've accomplished something...does that make any sense? So I've been trying over the past few months to then limit conversations with people over MSN, and instead to try and meet up with them for "coffee", or lunch, or just to walk around down town or something and just spend time talking...really talking...and not just words that flash over my computer screen. I think that relationships are so important to our life, and we should take the time to build them and appreciate the ones that we have, and to make new ones...but to do that by actually seeing the person that you are talking to, and spending time getting to know them face to face.

So...if anyone misses me on MSN...feel free to drop me an email or give me a call and we'll meet up! I'd much rather talk to you in person anyways....And if you are someone who I have just lost touch with completely...once again, drop me a line! We'll do lunch...

God Bless!