Day #59: Stay In Touch

There was a particular goal I wanted to achieve as part of this project.

Staying in touch.

I find that if there's one big problem I have, it's that I focus on tasks more than people.

Once a project is in my line of sight, I zero in on it and tend to concentrate only on other people involved with it.

At times, this has made me look like a career-driven user, but then again, I suppose everybody who puts a career first comes across this way.

Still, it doesn't thrill me that there are friends I have who I rarely check in with, so that when I do, I'm constantly being caught up like a delinquent parent.

"Oh really? You got pregnant? And she's graduating high school next week? Wow...So what else is new?"

A lot of the time I find that I don't respond to people right away because I simply don't know what to say.

Sometimes people write personal messages or things they need to get off their chest, and I always feel like I'm at a loss to say anything other than "I'm sorry" or "That sucks" which sounds incredibly lame.

Only recently when I decided I was finally going to become the sort of person who is known for getting back to people right away did I realize that sometimes all that's needed is a "I'm sorry, and I'm here if you need me" or in cases where I'm being asked to do something I don't want to--"No."

"No" is something I'm always afraid to say, but strangely enough, learning to be nice has also meant learning to say "No."

But I smile while saying it, of course.

In the meantime, I answer messages as quickly as I can and try to save the personal ones until I have enough time to really respond with a thoughtful answer.

And yes, there are messages I don't answer, because frankly, sometimes they don't merit one.

Part of learning to stay in touch has been learning who I need to stay in touch with, and who takes up too much of my mental inbox.