“May the joy of our fidelity to the highest and best within us be ours as we keep our love and our marriages, our society and our souls, as pure as they were meant to be, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” (Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2010 General Conference Address)
So there I was, sitting in the economy class of a commercial airplane and wondering how the field of ergonomics could have been so wrong about my seat, when I caught sight of the older, silver-haired gentleman across the narrow aisle from me. His gentle arm was wrapped protectively, affectionately around his wife in the adjacent seat. She snuggled up to him with the kind of trust founded on years of mutual loyalty and faithfulness. A radiant sunset lit the clouds afire outside the cabin window behind them, a fitting symbol of the still-bright twilight of life in which they found themselves. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed aloud, as if the two starry-eyed conspirators were still hidden away on the back row of some college chemistry class. And even if the stewardess did choose that precious moment to hijack the plane’s PA system and peddle over-priced airline wares, the scene was still tender enough to provoke soul-searching introspection.
How do we get there, you and I? How do we end up 34,000 feet in the air with the love of our life in the next seat over, a warm destination ahead, and a package of complimentary pretzels in our front shirt pocket? In a word: Fidelity.
Fidelity implies faithfulness, integrity and sincere attention to ourselves and to others, children of God who deserve the “highest and best within us.” (Holland) It implies a willingness to forego the multitudinous, “convenient” temptations and distractions of a virtual age to embrace reality and the real people who live in it. Elder David A. Bednar has warned us of becoming “so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, ear buds, twittering, online social networking, and potentially addictive uses of media and the Internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person-to-person communication.” (Things as They Really Are, Elder David A. Bednar, May 2009 CES Fireside Address)
Twenty years from now, the love of your life in the airplane seat next to you won’t be there because you’re quick with a text message or witty with a Facebook status. They’ll be there because of hours of rich, person-to-person conversations that taught them just how lovable you are. How do we get there? I don’t have all the answers. Remember, I’m still across the aisle in the ergonomically-challenged cheap seat.
But here’s one idea for this week: the next time someone texts you, take the time to call them back in person. That’s right. Real-time. They’re busy? Unavailable? Call back when they aren’t and spend five minutes making them feel important and worth your time.
So what are you waiting for? Stop reading this blog. Shut down the internet for today and go talk with your neighbor. Write a thank you note for the mailman. Hug a friend. We’ll have another post here next Sunday. Hopefully it will be yours. Let’s help each other “keep it real.”
So there I was, sitting in the economy class of a commercial airplane and wondering how the field of ergonomics could have been so wrong about my seat, when I caught sight of the older, silver-haired gentleman across the narrow aisle from me. His gentle arm was wrapped protectively, affectionately around his wife in the adjacent seat. She snuggled up to him with the kind of trust founded on years of mutual loyalty and faithfulness. A radiant sunset lit the clouds afire outside the cabin window behind them, a fitting symbol of the still-bright twilight of life in which they found themselves. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed aloud, as if the two starry-eyed conspirators were still hidden away on the back row of some college chemistry class. And even if the stewardess did choose that precious moment to hijack the plane’s PA system and peddle over-priced airline wares, the scene was still tender enough to provoke soul-searching introspection.
How do we get there, you and I? How do we end up 34,000 feet in the air with the love of our life in the next seat over, a warm destination ahead, and a package of complimentary pretzels in our front shirt pocket? In a word: Fidelity.
Fidelity implies faithfulness, integrity and sincere attention to ourselves and to others, children of God who deserve the “highest and best within us.” (Holland) It implies a willingness to forego the multitudinous, “convenient” temptations and distractions of a virtual age to embrace reality and the real people who live in it. Elder David A. Bednar has warned us of becoming “so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, ear buds, twittering, online social networking, and potentially addictive uses of media and the Internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person-to-person communication.” (Things as They Really Are, Elder David A. Bednar, May 2009 CES Fireside Address)
Twenty years from now, the love of your life in the airplane seat next to you won’t be there because you’re quick with a text message or witty with a Facebook status. They’ll be there because of hours of rich, person-to-person conversations that taught them just how lovable you are. How do we get there? I don’t have all the answers. Remember, I’m still across the aisle in the ergonomically-challenged cheap seat.
But here’s one idea for this week: the next time someone texts you, take the time to call them back in person. That’s right. Real-time. They’re busy? Unavailable? Call back when they aren’t and spend five minutes making them feel important and worth your time.
So what are you waiting for? Stop reading this blog. Shut down the internet for today and go talk with your neighbor. Write a thank you note for the mailman. Hug a friend. We’ll have another post here next Sunday. Hopefully it will be yours. Let’s help each other “keep it real.”
Hi Andrew, James and I were sitting here wondering "what ever happened to Andrew Jensen", and we clicked on your blog. I really enjoyed this post. I just read it aloud to James and now we are feeling guilty for both being on the internet ;P Thanks for your wise insight and words. You are a great writer!
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