1. Email
I know the joy of hearing the actual voice of a loved one. That said, email is the principal way I communicate with people.
It’s hard for me to talk on the phone. It saps my energy quickly, partly because of the need for nonstop back-and-forth conversation. Unlike visiting with someone in person, when I’m on the phone, silences feel awkward and sometimes even suggest that something’s wrong.
In addition, I can’t control what time of day a call will come in. It could be when I’m about to nap, or while I’m still groggy from sleep, or after I don’t have an ounce of “juice” left. By contrast, I can send an email any time of day, and I can receive one at three in the morning and do nothing about it until I’m ready to “talk.”
Finally, I love the instant (and free) communication with people from all over the world. The other day, a woman in Syria wrote to me about my first book. That was truly special.
I use email for “business” too. For example, when I’m interviewed, more often than not, the person sends me questions via email and I answer them when I’m able. Of course, if it’s a podcast or radio show, I have to use the phone or Skype, but that can mean conducing the interview when I’m too sick to be talking.
Recently, I was interviewed over the phone, all the while with a bloody nose—it being one of the side-effects of a medication I’m on. It started bleeding a couple minutes after the recording started so I didn’t feel I could say anything. I held one nostril shut during the entire interview, quickly switching to a new tissue when necessary. I thought my voice sounded far too nasal but, afterward, the interviewer said it was fine. I can look back at this now and laugh, but at the time, it was terribly stressful. Good thing I wasn’t being videoed! Yes, I love email.