A hundred little hugs

Merlin Mann, in his talk to Google about Zero Inbox, described how he first encountered email. He said that only he and a very few other friends would have email (back in’93) and they would communicate to one another for free over distances.

He said it was like an international society of little hugs.

The point of his discussion was how to get over the inbox plaque that builds up and we do nothing about. That Email should simply be enacted upon, HANDLED and gotten over.

but i remember the email society of little hugs. I miss it. And in fact, i think that is why my email piles up. I wish for the times when my email would be a friend with well-wishes. and it’s not anymore.

not nearly as often, anyway.

I wonder if Facebook is the new international society of little hugs. People keeping track of people, checking in on those we care about. It’s a better platform than 1-to-1 emails from friends.

Communication Technology, when it first came into my life, was unprecedented in it’s ability to connect me with like-minded people. I certainly had no like-minded people close by.

I’ve collected a few more like-minded friends, and as a matter of fact I’ve broadened my mind so that I have like-mindedness with an even broader swath of humanity.

But I wonder if it isn’t just a little needy and pathetic to rely on Facebook for little hugs throughout my day.

is it time to buy some stationary and a nice pen?