Okay, calm down. I’m not attacking the generation.  This is just my opinion and observation.  Agree or disagree, it’s just an observation.

I work in a profession where communication is the utmost key.  You cannot walk into a courtroom and not be expected to be able to effectively communicate with a judge, jury, or opposing counsel – much less your clients and co-workers.

It has come to my attention that even the younger generation of lawyers have need for communication and writing skills.  What has happened in the last 20 years?

I can tell you! THE CELL PHONE! THE IPAD! ANY FORM OF ELECTRONIC DEVICE! Even email is a culprit!

Prime example –

I was in the car with my son and we had the radio station on the 80’s.  He wasn’t impressed.  A song by Culture Club came on and I said, “I bet you don’t know who the lead singer is of this band!” As Collin continued to stare at his phone, he grunted, “No, why should I.” I laughed and said, “I was YOUR age! And it’s Boy George!” No response.

It took me back to a time that we did not have cell phones to stare into.  When we started college, we took tape recorders to class IF we wanted notes to take home. And, most of all, when we wanted to talk to people, we called them from our LANDLINE! Wait, who has a landline anymore?

What my main concern is are we teaching our young people to communicate with our older generation?  Here is what my husband was taught and passed on to our sons.

1. ALWAYS take your hat off when you come inside a building (including restaurants, classrooms, and churches).
2. When you meet/greet someone, look them in the eye and shake their hand.  This ALSO goes for women.
3. When speaking, speak loud enough for the other person to hear you so that they do not have to ask what you said multiple times.
4. Last, but NOT least, by all means, stand when someone greets to introduce themselves.

Somehow, I think these simple rules have been lost in the technological world of communication.  I feel like I am back peddling in teaching these rules at this point, but it does not hurt to remind our youth good communication manners.

I’d also like to ask another poignant question.  Have your own personal friendships suffered due to technology? I know mine has.  Should Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, texting, all the “stories” be our main form of communication?  I’ll leave it there.

So graduates, go into the world BOLDLY! You do not know WHOSE hand you may shake that has had an impact in history of this great country and might impact your life as well.

Oh, and I’m not telling you when I graduated.

Ready to hug and shake hands!