":Communication Roads"

This world of ours has seen many roads be built since the beginning of mankind. They have ranged from the so-called silk roads that allowed traders and merchants to travel from China to Europe to the Autobahnen as initiated by, believe it or not, Adolph Hitler, to even the West Side Highway that enabled urban commuters to more easily navigate New York City. Each made it easier for all users to reach destinations more quickly and safely and reduce contending with the inevitable array of obstacles such as pedestrians, traffic lights and, to an extent, other drivers. Collectively, the roads have served as a principle connector for all needing and wishing to connect with others. To this day, they continue to achieve this objective daily and in a big way.

In the world of communication there also exists roads. Traditional roads geared to accommodate vehicles are designed to help travelers go from one destination to another. What I will call "communication roads" are designed more to help take users from one road to another. Users of these roads are rarely, if ever, content to go to a singular destination. Instead, a user of the Internet, for example, might seek out information on a particular topic but then immediately hop onto another virtual road that leads to additional details on that or related topics. Such journeys do not have end points.

Then there is the matter of physical interaction between people. A conversation between individuals represents a communication road. With words and gestures, participants are making use of a road that they created for the purpose of achieving an effective encounter. A person may travel a "road" with a sales clerk and, based on the results of that encounter, immediately construct a similar road with a person at a cash register. The examples are endless. They represent how each of us as non-stop communicators remain in the road-construction business.