Answering machines......

How I hate those.....I have always had a problem communicating with answering machines. The moment the (not-so-sweet) [read irritating] voice says `Please leave a message after the beep`….I start groping for words, how to start, how to go on….how best to summarize everything that I wanted to say to the person, in a concise, precise way……I often begin saying something and hang-up quickly with a small ‘forget it` or `never mind`…… Yeah never mind that I had something to say, possibly something important, and you would not have listen to it.

And those times, I wonder how is it to live with, to be in a relationship with answering machines. With people who would always be not-so-present, when you have things to say, questions to ask, or simply something to share with. A friend whose husband is too busy with work, to be around for the kids' birthday, for the weekend outing, for the family gathering, or even for everyday's dinner,, would often say she has to leave messages for him whenever there is something she needs to discuss with him, and wait for him to get back to her......and as is expected, they remain undiscussed, and untouched ultimately.... and now she doesn't feel the need to discuss things with him, it doesn't matter even if the calls are not returned.

Though its not only the time factor that makes answering machines out of people, more often than not, it is the unwillingness to listen, because that requires answering as well. Usually, things are heard, heard just right, but still left in the answering machine, in the hope that the caller finds out a way to fix the issue himself, or just forgets about it.... and seldom do we realize that all it takes to save a relationship from falling apart is picking up the call, and saying 'I am present'...Who-so-ever might have coined the term communication gap,... what I believe is its communication or the Gap, and either of it for sure !!