What is in a name?

In this world of cyber communication, are we missing the opportunity for real connections with others? When we meet new people how much do we remember about them? How much do they remember us?

Much of the time, it takes a genuine effort to get to know someone. We have to determine if we want to make more effort to get to know a person. This is easy when we are younger, but it can be a challenge as we age.

Making connections requires effort. Sometimes we have to look at ourselves and determine how much effort we are putting into making connections. If we take a look at our life, we may realize our pool of connections has diminished. If we want more people in our pool of friends, we will have to make the attempt to reach out.

Today, more people rely on texts, emails and social media to stay connected. This can be an easy way to keep in touch but it does not replace a face-to-face connection. Most of us want human interaction. This may require us to make the effort to reach out to others.

Most of us feel good when somebody remembers us and call us by our name. Hearing someone say your name can feel like holding a warm cup of coco on a really cold day ... all warm and comforting.

So, when you want to begin a new connection, taking the effort to remember someone’s name can be a good start. People will feel more naturally connected to other people who show interest in them. When we call someone by their name, it gives others a moment of familiarity and connection that makes people feel important. When people feel important, they can feel more connected to us.

We are reminded of this by the old theme song of TV comedy, “Cheers” (1982-1993) “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” written by Gary Portnoy. If you knew the show and you heard the song you felt a sense of belonging. This show was funny and warmly charming because it showed us how people make efforts to connect with each other.

We can learn from the past and look forward to the future by deciding who we want to reach out to and take the effort to connect with them.