The first real post on my blog was posted ten years ago. I had written a welcome post the month before, but really started blogging on June 3rd as I waited for a flight to Toronto. I had some interesting thoughts about communication in that first post. It is making me think again of how communication has changed in the past ten years.

Here is a copy of that first post which was titled Take Off to Canada.

Steven

Now for a real post. I am sitting at the San Francisco airport waiting for my delayed flight to Toronto on Air Canada. Thankfully it is only delayed an hour, but will make for a long night as I will arrive after Midnight.

I am typing this on my new I-Pad using the free wi-fi at the airport. So much has changed with how we communicate over the years. Just ten years ago we were happy to be able to have a cell phone to call someone to let them know that we had arrived at our destination. I think even further back to the days when we couldn’t even send an e-mail to let someone know when we arrived in a foreign country. We had to make an expensive overseas call or maybe send a postcard.

A couple places where my mind has wandered while thinking of Canada and communication. First, I intentionally titled the post “Off to Canada.” What do you think of when someone says they are going to Canada? I go to church with a guy from Canada and it always bugs him if I just say Canada and not a specific city. He wants to know specifically where I am going in his country. He grew up in the West, so going to Canada means Vancouver. It makes me think, what comes to mind when people post that they are going to California. Do I think of where I live or the more touristy places like Disney?

The second place my mind wandered was back to September 11, 2011. I landed in Canada that fateful day. Carrying a cell-phone that had International service so I could call home and work was such a blessing. Of course, it then took me three days to get home, but that is another story.

Another thing I have been thinking about is Summer Bible camp. I remember those last days of a week of camp where we would trade addresses so we could write to each other throughout the year. Many times one or two letters would be exchanged and then nothing till we would see each other at a rally or maybe even the next Summer. Today the kids are in constant communication and have support of their camp friends all year long. Of course, we adults take advantage of the advances in communication as well. I keep in touch with friends from all over the World on a regular basis Something that would have been impossible just a short time ago.

An example, is that I have been able to keep in touch with my friend Kadota through the years. He was a student in one of my classes years ago and I have spent time with his family several times when traveling to Japan. This year we spent several days together in Kyoto. It is nice to get to know your remote colleagues better with the communication tools that we have.

Steven