Stumbling in the Dark

The older I get the more convinced I am that all of us, on some level, are stumbling in the dark. I  know. Youngsters will observe from time to time that us older folks really seem to have our act together. We seem to be assured, confident in our actions, and certain of our perspectives. To that I laugh and say "if only that were true." As a card carrying oldster I can readily attest to the fact that a good deal of the time none of that is true. If it seems that way, then it is only as a result of our years of experience that we have become proficient at faking it or at improvising. The hard truth is we find life just as daunting as when we were young.


All of this is certainly true of our efforts to communicate well with others. We share an opinion or toss out an idea and only hope at least some of what we just said comes close to resonating with another. The fact is much of what say ends up as noise or is treated that way. We engage with others, either casually or in a professional setting, and struggle to make some sort of positive difference with our input. It is a struggle with no guarantee of success or effectiveness. The reason, in large measure, revolves around those on the receiving end of our output. Are they listening? Are they interested in our opinions? Perhaps they already have their minds made up.


Sometimes I find myself chuckling when I hear someone described themselves as a "communication expert." I am not sure there is any such thing. Just because we all communicate - or try to - does not mean we are any good at it. People may have an expertise in communication because they are familiar with the logistics of the act and the numerous variables that contribute to success or failure. But in no way does that mean they communicate effectively each time they put pen-to-paper or speak. They still fall short on a regular basis. As is the case with other aspects of life, they and all of us continue stumbling in the dark when it comes to communication.