I know kids are hard-wired to ignore their mother's voice, but sometimes it is shocking how earnest they seem when insisting they didn't hear me. (I know when they are totally lying, though.) I warn them of impending spills, or give them several opportunities to gather belongings prior to leaving the house. Yet it isn't until they must clean up the mess or fret that they don't have time to find their flip flops (or their DSes) when they hear the beep of the armed alarm or the jingle of my keys. They can hear the tiny patter of paws as the cat runs out of the door, but can't hear my warnings that they have 10 or 5 minutes left before we leave. You didn't tell us we were LEAVING!
Yeah, from my kids I understand, or at least I expect it.
But to adults, I must be cellophane, too.
A person called me Friday. I called him back and left a message.
A "substitute" called me Monday, saying that the first person was out of the office, so I'd have to follow up with him. He left an email address. I emailed him.
The original person called again today, indicating my delinquency in not getting back to him or his colleague. Of course he didn't pick up the phone, and I left yet another message.
I can see voice-mail malfunctioning or email malfunctioning, but both?
During the past week, I've been overlooked in the deli line and had a shopping cart slammed into my heel. I've emailed PR reps back immediately regarding some projects I'd actually like to work on, yet gotten no response. (Meanwhile, some of the more persistent ones with projects I don't want seem to keep emailing away!)
More and more frequently, I'm finding that the communications I initiate are never received, even if I am standing in front of the person using my throat, lips and tongue to make words. It is simultaneously ironic and expected given all the new social and networking tools available to us.
Am I the only one feeling a bit invisible of late?
