DOHA, Qatar (MindaNews / 21 January) — Have you ever thought about how communication has evolved over the years? It’s fascinating to compare how we communicate now and how we did in the past. Back then, communication between people, especially those who were geographically distant, was difficult because there were no mobile phones, internet, or social media applications.
Even among neighbors, it wasn’t easy to stay updated on each other’s lives. Of course, this doesn’t mean intruding on someone’s private life. The only way to stay connected with family and loved ones who lived far away was through occasional meetings or gatherings.
When my paternal grandmother was sick back then, my uncle and I would wait for our turn in a long queue to use the telephone in Jolo; we had to insert coins to make a long-distance call to Manila.
This was how we informed my grandmother’s other children, who live afar, about her health condition.
When I was in grade two and my eldest brother fell ill, my mother became very anxious about his health. Since my father was away from home for work, my mother wrote a letter to inform him about my brother’s illness. She instructed me to deliver the letter to the jeep terminal heading towards my father’s workplace. My mother asked me to request anyone getting off at my father’s barracks to deliver the letter to him. I followed my mother’s instructions, and the next day, my father arrived home and took my brother to Zamboanga City for further medical treatment.
One night, as we were getting ready to sleep, our neighbor, a close relative knocked on our door. After greeting us, she said she had important news to share. My grandmother got up from her bed and welcomed our relative who had come to inform us that she heard an important announcement on the radio that the sister of my uncle’s wife, who was in Siasi, had passed away while giving birth.
Think about what might have happened had our relative not tuned in to the radio announcement that night. Alhamdu Lillāh, my aunt, who was in Jolo, was made aware of what had occurred to her sister.
Public service announcements on the radio were a critical method of disseminating important information to families regarding significant updates. It is difficult to imagine how difficult it would have been for my aunt if she had not been informed about what had happened to her sister through this vital communication channel.
Moreover, whenever my father’s siblings who worked abroad would send us packages, they would always include a cassette tape. After dinner, my paternal grandmother would gather us all together to listen to the voice recordings of our beloved living abroad. We would sit silently and listen intently as they shared their experiences and messages for each of us. According to them, they recorded their messages during their days off.
While listening, we would learn from them which gifts were for us, something like that. They would share their experiences, both positive and negative, while away and remind us to help each other in doing house chores, among others. Also, my aunt would tell us that her friend is returning abroad on this date. Please share your foot measurements so I can buy you shoes abroad. We would all be happy upon hearing it. It was a fantastic way for us to bond as a family, and it’s lovely to look back on those memories.
In the past, gathering information about people and events was challenging and often limited. This meant that we were less susceptible to the impact of news and tended to react more slowly to both negative and positive events. Our focus was primarily on what affected us directly, such as our immediate surroundings, family, and friends. We were not as connected with the broader world and its events as we are today.
Even with our own family and loved ones who are far away, such as in the case of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), we may not always be fully informed about what happens to them unless they send us letters, photos, and a voice recorded in a cassette tape. This is not because we don’t care but because communication was difficult in the past. In those days, it was expected to be surprised by news of marriages, births, and deaths.
However, today, the advent of technological advancements, such as the internet and social media, has significantly changed the way we consume and react to information. With just one click, people can quickly get informed about the latest happenings and updates. This means that loved ones and family members can be instantly updated about each other’s situations, regardless of location. In addition to writing, messages can also be conveyed through audio and video formats. You are far away from your loved ones, but you can still communicate with them. How amazing!
Nevertheless, everything in life has its own set of pros and cons. It’s like the news we receive nowadays, thanks to technology: quick and efficient but is it always good? And on the flip side, not everything slow is necessarily wrong.
Receiving good news from our loved ones can be a wonderful experience that fills us with joy and brightens up our day. Conversely, getting negative news from them can have a profound and swift impact on our mental, emotional, physical, and financial well-being. Such news can throw us off balance, cause immense disruption and distress, and have long-lasting effects.
(Mindanawon Abroad is MindaNews’ effort to link up with Mindanawons overseas who would like to share their experiences in their adopted countries. Gamson Jr Mawallil Quijano of Sulu is a registered Radiologic Technologist who works in Doha, Qatar.)
