Saturday, March 29, 2008

People Who Need People

Hello People!
I had a teacher in grade school who used to loudly blurt, "Attention PEOPLE!" I thought her use of people was a bit odd back then, but now I believe it was a forward thinking term... a unisex term to use for her entire class. It worked! We listened. I use it today whenever I need the attention of a group! Who knew?

OK, PEOPLE! Back to business.

I had a conversation with an old college friend today on my way to the home improvement nursery. I hope I didn't come across to her as too crass, but I just don't seem to fully grasp why many people I consider my friends and even members of my own family are too busy to pick up a phone, to pick up a pen and a piece of paper (or SooBoo note card for that matter!) or to just peck away an e-mail to keep in touch with each other (She always keeps in touch). Although, I am just as guilty in getting this done instantly with e-mails rather than a hand written note, I still try to maintain friendships and even good acquaintances during some slower times in my week. I have times where I am busy rushing kids around to soccer, dogs to the vet, grocery shopping, washing, ironing (when I do my deepest thinking), vacuuming, dusting, making beds, baking, cooking and feeding everyone, calling parents, teachers and even a principal now and then, straightening my hair (anyone who knows me knows this takes a while!) and of course, sitting at this computer pounding out ideas to add to www.sooboodesigns.com, creating them in my studio, scanning them, editing them, putting them together with my graphic software and then entering all the data that I need to sell it on my site. All of this eats up time. Yet, why do I seem to be one of the only ones who makes the effort to keep the friendships alive? I wonder when an e-mail will get answered. I wonder when a phone call will be returned. How do I have time to spend with my family and sit in front of the television at night and relax with my latest favorite prime time shows and still think of those I care about? And to think, if I was truly organized, I would write a note in long hand because I KNOW what a delight it is to get a letter in the mail. If we enjoy simple pleasures so much, why don't we make it so? Maybe this is why I love to make note cards, notepads and flat note cards. Paper and pen. Thoughts. I love to connect with people and I like to believe people like to connect with me. We are too busy. We are causing our own A.D.D.!!! When I see a blue tooth contraptions stuck on people's ears on a Saturday or Sunday, I just about want to yank it off their heads and say, "What are you thinking?" I do NOT have a traditional full time job, but I have a way of life which fulfills me and affords me time to do what is important at the time. I am one of the lucky ones. I know a lot of the lucky ones, but yet, I guess, these old college friends have found friendship beyond what I can offer them. I believe that everyone has time at some point in the week... if not to just say "hi...thinking of you." Sadly, people don't even write in their holiday cards anymore. A picture suffices. When a friend remembers a birthday these days, it's a form of a miracle. Anyway, let's think about incorporating keeping connections in our lives. Doing so creates fun, new ideas, new ways of thinking.

When my old college friend wrote me and said she had a great idea for graduation gifts using SooBoo note cards, I was so happy! My email to her must have inspired this idea. Good for both of us~ So, I started thinking that her handsome, talented son who's starting in the fall at Rice on a baseball scholarship might enjoy a quick flat note card instead. I made some of these and let her know that I offer this now, too, at SooBoo. Keeping in touch, as I said, gets you thinking, and gives you new ideas! I also recently realized that a lot of people for graduation receive gift cards. There are an abundance of these on the market these days. You can get them everywhere! So why not wrap your gift card in a SooBoo Designs gift card holder? Try Graduate, Thank You or coming up, Happy Mother's Day gift card holders. You can even order a personalized gift card holder by entering your name, style and colors you wish for me to use. OR, you pick a SooBoo gift tag from the gift tag category on the website and I can place that on the card holder! There are so many from which to choose. Holiday card holders are a great idea. You can never get those too early. Supplied with the fold over gift card/certificate holder is a piece of "snot glue" like what you see when you tear a free sample out of a magazine and there is this crazy sticky stuff which holds the product well, yet rolls off the product rather easily AND a round clear adhesive dot to place on the bottom of the holder to keep it closed. I chose to use these dots because it saves paper and is more cost effective for the customer and for me. We like that.
Well, I have to get ready for the Elite Eight NCAA Basketball Championship game - UNC vs. Louisville. It really is exciting to see these 18-21 yr olds in action. If we could just obtain an ounce of the energy they possess and use it toward communicating with old friends and relatives in any way that pleases you, surely, it would please that old friend in return!

By the way, one fascinating childhood friend of mine, Marianne McGovern Priest is one of the most creative, self taught, insightful, intelligent, giving, caring, loving and sweet women I know. I have added her website of her gorgeous, quiet, soft, warm. cold and intriguing photography, one of which I am proud to say I own, to my favorite links. Please take time to check out her talent from wintry Elk Rapids, Michigan!
http://web.mac.com/mpriestphotography . I love her dearly and wish great things for the rest of her life.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Thanks for reading~
Susie

1 comment:

Laura Bray said...

I totally agree with you about keeping in touch. I really try to be thoughtful and remember my friends & family and, although I don't do it to get anything in return, it sure would be nice to get some mail once in awhile! Love your latest designs.