No numerical stats can fully describe the array of unique folks randomly woven together in the vibrant tapestry that makes up this little online community. From all over the world you come! Women and men 'of a certain age' ... and those far far younger. Faith believers and seekers in process. Professionals of all stripes. Writers and readers, adventurers and homebodies, movers and shakers, ministers of grace and imaginative creators.
And many keen, quiet observers who sit quite contentedly on the sidelines.
And many keen, quiet observers who sit quite contentedly on the sidelines.
But we DO have one thing in common. We all use email.
The recent post praising the glories of empty inboxes sparked a fun conversation that included musings about the ease of utilizing goat skins and quills. 1,712 emails 'panting' for attention in one inbox and 2000 hanging out in another. The sweet satisfaction of 300 messages chopped down to just 2. A Hotmail inbox biding its time since 2006. And the overwhelming exhaustion that comes with juggling 6 email accounts.
You can read the whole conversation by clicking right here.
And then a few days later, this note appeared in my own inbox ...
You recently talked about the joy of an empty inbox for you. It reminded me how much email I have clogging my day and computer, but there are way too many things that I think I want to read again or save. I am not sure what I did, but last night while we were watching a movie (The Patriot) I absently picked up my phone and thought I had deleted spam. I discovered later when I went to turn off the phone that I had some how deleted every email (sent, inbox, saved, folder of saved emails, etc.) It left me feeling totally upended. I do not even know what all I lost. Now this morning, I am chuckling to myself and feeling like the accident might have been the Lord's way of handling the whole sorting and letting go of all that stuff!
Since then, I haven't heard from this friend {who shall remain anonymous}. Gee ... I hope she's OK. Is she in shock or is she feeling light and unencumbered? Was she able to recover her own private post office? And is she still finding God in the midst of this significant loss?
Sad to say, I'm fairly sure that I wouldn't have responded with such a wise spiritual perspective.
How 'bout you? Got any email stories, social media sagas, or other technological joys or sorrows to share?
Years ago, when I was working on my doctorate, I lost all but the first 51 lines of a structural analysis program that had over 5000 lines. I don't know how it happened, but it certainly got my attention.
ReplyDeleteAnd when I was an undergrad, I had written a 500-line program on punch cards. On my way to do the final printout, an hour before it was due, I was attacked by a bee and nearly dropped the whole stack. It had rained the night before, and there were puddles everywhere.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2016/07/your-dying-spouse-178-something-big-fmf.html
AARRGGHH!
DeleteAll but the first 51 lines. No way!!!
Attacked by a bee as you danced through puddles? Now THAT would have produced an interesting video, huh?
You just can't make this stuff up.
;-{
When I first read your post about an empty email inbox, I started to share how I seemingly regularly have about 1100 unread (and no telling how many read) emails in my inbox. But I thought, no, I don't want people to know how obsessive I am.
ReplyDeleteI also have a BUNCH of folders I funnel these emails in, yet I still have a bunch in my box.
So I got busy cleaning it out and now I'm down to under a 100 emails. For me, that is pretty awesome! I'm going to see how long I can keep it under a 100 and then maybe under a 50. Baby steps. Baby steps.
WOO-HOO!! YAY!
DeleteI truly am excited because that's a huge accomplishment, Jerralea. Absolutely! I'd send you a congratulatory email but I wouldn't want to begin re-filling that inbox.
P.S. Never be afraid to share around here. You're in very good company!
;-}
Oh wow! That must have been such a shock! My inbox is chocca block full...ha, I could do with a major clean-out too ...but would be so sad to lose emails that remind me of my journey from fear to faith. A friend of mine and I wrote hundreds of long emails to each other about faith, doubt, deep dark pits and God's amazing love and grace. I keep thinking I need to organize them and maybe even turn them into a printed book as a gift to her.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your story, I thought, wow ... what a cool book that would be, a faith dialogue between friends!
DeleteAnd then I read that last line!
Would you consider publishing?
;-}
There have been a few times that I've come close to losing my online calendar, and it put me in a terrible mood! ha. Thankfully I was always able to get most of it back, but it showed me how dependent I had become on my digital data. Sigh. Hope your friend will continue to move forward and not miss her emails. I would probably just collapse in a heap on the couch and cry for days. ha.
ReplyDeleteOh, I hear ya', Lisa. I just about freaked out last summer when I almost lost this site AND my old stomping ground, the Creekside Ministries site! My life passed in front of my eyes as my stomach churned. I'm sure I aged 20 years in 2 minutes.
DeleteAll I could do was pray!
mmm ... isn't that what God wants?
{sigh!}
I am still celebrating the Lord's hand in what happened. No need to worry as the emails started coming right away again. I also realized if I wasn't clear on what all I had lost in the folders for the important email then it may not have been all that important. Thanks, my friend!
ReplyDeleteYou have an incredibly positive, sane attitude, Pam!
DeleteAnd such a grateful heart, too.
;-}
It is hilarious when you think you are texting your neighbor and the textee says "where do I know you from? How did you get my number?" I am thinking what a nut job my neighbor is that she doesn't even realize who I am. I tried to explain I was the neighbor across the street and the response was "I'm sorry, I don't ever recall meeting you." After some investigation, I discovered I switched 2 numbers of the neighbor's cell and I was texting an unknown person somewhere. I apologized to the wrong-number person and the textee said, "sure, no problem, Carol." I felt like a made a new friend......LOL
ReplyDeleteShe was so gracious in her response, wasn't she!
Delete;-}
Linda, I am an absolute fanatic when it comes to cleaning out my inbox. If there is something I need to hold onto, I place it in my personal file folder. A clean box is such an obsession, that even when we are enjoying tech downtime on vacation, I will still access my phone to delete, delete, delete. What kind of vacation would it be if coming home meant facing 60 bazillion unread messages? Lol!
ReplyDeleteAnd your friend did show so much acceptance and grace in what inadvertently happened to her.
Blessings!
60 bazillion unread messages.
DeleteUgh. Makes me shudder just to think about it!
I think we share the same 'keep it clean' philosophy, friend!
My hard drive has crashed several times, and along with it, any emails I may have had, and somehow you just have to keep on going even though there are times you wish there was another way to work without technology! LOL!
ReplyDeleteKinda makes you wonder how we functioned without it all.
DeleteQuite well, if I remember correctly!
;-}
Back in the day, when all my business mail used to arrive on goat skins or parchment paper, and the mailman stunk to high Heaven, we all had time to read the messages slowly and take our time in responding. We had to take our time because writing on parchment paper was a labourious task; especially when the quill broke and we had to run after a goose for yet another feather. But all this gave our messages a whiff of importance, as well as a smell of putrid goat skins. Our delays in responding to the mail gave the impression that we had considered our response carefully and with seriousness, and what we said was indeed of some import and of great value.
ReplyDeleteThen management had the brilliant idea of bringing in computers and e-mails. Everyone wrote to each other by e-mail; and e-mails being what they are people felt obliged to answer them quickly. Gone were the days when you could sit and mull over a response for a week or so. Now everyone e-mailed everyone and expected a response to their e-mails prompto the same day, if not within the same hour.
I was inundated with e-mails at work. Even text messages on the phone. Everyone wanting a quick response.
But I got the better of them ... I wrote on the top of my e-mails that this was a matter worthy of great consideration needing advice and views from all and sundry. Then I copied the e-mails received to everyone who may have a point of view to offer ... finance department, personnel department, marketing, sales, advertising, operations ... basically everyone.
Every e-mail I received was multiplied at least 20 or 30 times. Each waiting for a response which needs to be considered carefully and weighed against everyone else's response. It took ages for all the responses to come back and be analysed; which bought me ample time to get on with my work and not bother answering all e-mails instantaneously.
I beat technology with technology. All in the name of team-work and sharing of information.
God bless.
Let's give a great big round of applause for chasing geese, the scent of putrid goat skins, and all the extra work we've created for ourselves along the way!
DeleteGee ... these dialogues would be awful dull without your presence here, Victor. So, let's hear it for British humor, too!
Thanks always bringing a smile ...
Ah yes, clogged email inboxes, Linda! It's a problem I don't like to think about, but am grateful for your friend's amazing faith-filled attitude. I will try to follow her example. Thanks for inspiring us, my friend! Always a joy to visit!
ReplyDeleteDon't you love that God cares about things like email?
DeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteI needed the smiles that these stories have brought to my face. It's humbling that God can use such modern technology to teach us lessons and bring us to remembrance and dependence on Him. Our God is good! Thanks for sharing :)
Blessings,
Bev
I hear you, Bev. I didn't know when I posted this how much we'd all need to share smiles for one reason or another ...
DeleteOh my! No advice for your friend. Thanks for the big smiles today. What fun to share other email stories. Have an amazing week!
ReplyDeleteLove that you dropped by, friend ...
DeleteI do keep my inbox quite empty but totally empty... Not sure if I could do that! Have a beautiful day!
ReplyDeleteQuite empty is a pretty good goal, isn't it!
DeleteArgh. I don't know how many important emails I've deleted accidentally.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week ahead!
I hear ya', Lux ...
Delete"No numerical stats can fully describe the array of unique folks randomly woven together in the vibrant tapestry that makes up this little online community." - THIS about sums it up! I feel lost when digital data gets lost... its amazing how much this digital world has become part of our daily lives, and links so many together! Missed reading your posts my dear! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Gingi ... it's so good to see your face at my door!
Delete;-}
Hmm...I have a love/hate relationship with e-mail...thanks for the book rec on my blog :-)
ReplyDeletePlease let me know what you think ... I know you value the care of your soul.
DeleteI'm pretty certain you don't want to know my ongoing email inbox saga. You know the little picture on Smartphones that shows how many email you have? Yeah.....that one. Well, let's just say mine, for 4 accounts, was 5 digits at one time. It's a 'lil better now. Think I'll head on over to the covers and hide my head a bit. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's ok ... you can come out now! You're in very good company!
Delete;-}
I accidently did the same thing a month ago for one of my accounts. After the wave of panic subsided I realized I really didn't need all those emails I thought I did. Honestly, I can't even remember what most of them were. It does make me feel good to open my email now and see it cleared out :) It was a happy accident.
ReplyDeletemmm ... nothing like that wave of panic to completely undo us. Here's to more 'happy accidents' for us all!
Delete;-}