“Are you available?🙂 ”
A cautious, polite WhatsApp message from my printer. We quickly discussed a printing issue, and then I returned to wrestling with an uncooperative website.
But the message reminded me of a conversation last weekend. A family member complained that my daughter hadn’t replied to their birthday messages quickly enough.
“She’s always on her phone.”
Except she isn’t.
My children were born in the previous century — 1999 — and grew up without smartphones or tablets. They played outside, climbed trees and disappeared until the streetlights came on.
Even now, their phones stay out of sight when they’re with other people. Ironically, those who complain the loudest are often the ones constantly checking their own phones.
I regularly receive work messages late at night or over the weekend. And if I don’t reply quickly enough, it’s followed by the, to me, rude message: “???”
Do we really need to be available all the time? Always switched on?
I refuse to live that way.
So whenever someone complains that one of my children hasn’t replied quickly enough, my answer is simple:
“They’re busy living their lives.
They’ll reply when they have time.”
#graphicdesign #entrepreneur #smallbusinessowner