Can You Hear Me Now?

These little birds look like they might be standing at an old fashioned payphone, peering at the well-worn number pad, wondering what happened to their quarter and why they can't get the 411 lady on the line. They certainly look serious, and although there's not a cell phone in sight, you can almost hear them asking the universal wireless question "Can You Hear Me Now?"

Debuted as a catch-phrase by Verizon for their 2009 ad campaign, "Can You Hear Me Now?" has become a question at the very heart of our wireless culture. It's also a question any overseas traveler knows well and uses all too often!

Today is day two of a girls' weekend - five of us (The Posse, as we like to call ourselves), are all super-close friends who have known each other seemingly forever. This weekend four of the five are at Deb's place in New Jersey enjoying some long overdue face time, sharing stories, and basically catching up with each other's lives. Although there were four cell phones out on the deck today (and we checked them from time to time), the emphasis was on chatting, face to face, with minimal technological interruption or distraction that would interfere with our girl-talk.

Yet even while we're all together reveling in this far too infrequent "window of time," The Posse is also keenly aware of the concerted effort it takes to coordinate these gatherings. We have a girls' weekend out at Deb's place two or three times a year, and it takes quite a bit of planning on everybody's part to actually pull it off! When it works, it's always an "occasion," an "event," and no matter what time of year, it's always a cherished reunion. Our gatherings never fail to remind us that friendships take time and effort, and the payoff can be a lifelong source of fun and support, a place for laughter and tearful transitions, a confirmation, no matter how or when it's given, of who you are and why you're loved.

In between these infrequent reunions, The Posse, like all long-distance pals, must rely upon cell phones, Skype, Facetime, Facebook, Email or any combination thereof to stay in touch, which only makes our sporadic gatherings all the more special. In an age of "Can You Hear Me Now," personal interaction is a wonderful and precious luxury, an essential component of friendship that should be highly valued and greatly appreciated. It's certainly something The Posse, now spread hither and yon, no longer takes for granted. We lost one of our core members a couple of years ago and will always treasure the time we spent with our dear friend, cherishing the Posse memories we created with her throughout the years. Unfortunately, all the technology in the world can't reach her now, no matter how many times we say, "Can You Hear Me Now?"

My Dad commented the other day on how happy he is that I've been able to maintain my friendships in the States and stay in close touch with my friends, even while we've been in China all these years. He told me that Mom, once she left NYC to get married and start a family, was never able to do that, and he felt somewhat sad about it. I reminded him that in Mom's day there was no global technology to help her stay in touch, no email, no cell phones, no texting or video chats. There were regular land-line phones and hand-written letters, both of which, even today, require designated time and concerted effort. Of course, that could have been enough if Mom had a strong desire to keep her friendships going, but it's unquestionably easier today. Maintaining long-distance friendships is now almost as easy as talking to your neighbor over the hedge!

I'm already looking forward to the next Posse reunion, and very much hope these little birds will attend. In the meantime I'll count myself fortunate to have many forms of modern technology available to help keep me in close touch with friends and family while we're away. As painful as technology can be when it doesn't work as advertised, and although I may complain loudly when a connection cuts in and out, I'm always quick to call back and resume a conversation, generally starting with "Can You Hear Me Now?"