Published: September 13, 2009 01:59 am      

CUMMINS: Why is communication so difficult?

Most human relation conflicts have been caused by either a lack of communication, too much of it or false information, which politicians use. Look back at our beginning in the Garden of Eden when communication began as a two-way street. But when God spoke, Eve tuned him out. How would Adam have known what was forbidden if Eve didn’t tell him? He was pre-occupied hunting animals high in protein, not gathering fruit. What was he going to do, neglect his family and pay child support for Cain and Abel?

The Bible is full of miscommunication. God tried making it simple by reducing the rules to 10 simple commandments. Where did we get the idea that obeying seven was sufficient? Eliminate all those things that should not be coveted and salvation would be a snap.

Not intending to dwell on the gospel truth, I call attention to three areas where communication has totally broken down—love, marriage and politics, which are all unrelated. Many married couples have difficulty expressing deep-rooted feelings to a spouse, because of being on different sound waves. Today’s husband is so pre-occupied with economic downturns and ESPN that his feelings go numb, whereas wives continue having them no matter what. Communication in some marriages is a light year apart.

In politics, loving a liberal is like free love for everybody, but requires another tax. Loving a conservative is like loving Rush Limbaugh, who has 20 million listeners, although 280 million Americans don’t. And how can you love our president when he’s trying to indoctrinate our children with socialist dogma and changing our health care system to an Adolph Hitler plan?

However, there is an ongoing form of political communication at town hall meetings. But this type of communication is primarily shouting and screaming to the point there’s danger of a speaker going into cardiac arrest. If some of these town hall participants don’t settle down, they’ll need health care. Who pays, Medicare?

If you believe we need health care reform, go to a town hall meeting and express your point of view. If you go, it might be advisable to carry a gun, which some participants are doing. It’s your right, and wearing a gun will help you get recognized. A gun speaks volumes, and is a forceful way to communicate. How do you think we ever settled the Wild West? It needs settling again.

Is it possible for political opponents to work together? When our country has a crisis, can’t the two sides sit down at a table and communicate using a smidgen of common sense over pizza and something to wash it down with? The president resolved one problem over beers, but that’s not advisable, because Congress seems to function like half its members are half tanked half the time.

Turning to love, communication is at low ebb. Back in my day, the love bug stung me in the seventh-grade. Amy Lou sat two rows over. When the teacher wasn’t looking, I’d wad up a passionate love note and pass it over to her. Occasionally, the teacher would intercept one of these notes and read it to the class, which was the first lesson indicating life, might not be worth living.

To communicate to the outside world that you were in love, you’d use ink to draw a big heart on the back of your hand with an inscription, “Terry+Amy Lou 4ever”. Then in high school she taped your class ring on her finger. Finally, “With this ring, I thee wed,” meant your life was signed and sealed.

Why does it take three hours on a cell phone for a boy to tell a girl he likes her? Back in my day, parents let you use the phone two minutes, so you communicated love with poetry. Remember Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s love poem to Robert? “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. /I love thee to the depth and breadth and height, /my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight, etc.” Some of my poems were nearly as good, and would melt most any girl’s heart.

If kids are not on the phone, they’re tweeting, which is a horrible means of communication. In my day, your whole body tweeted and twittered when overcome with passion. A tweet poem over the net is just not the same. “Luv u how? Deep wide high soul far out — dude humble — candle flicks — smell hair.”

E-mail poems to TLCTLC@AOL. com