I was never one for Scrabble. Even though I love to read and write, and consider myself the possessor of a diverse vocabulary, the little white tiles never did much for me. Until now.
A few weeks ago, an old friend came into town. A former journalist, we hadn’t managed to connect and catch up in a long time. Here comes the big digression – I used to feel enormous guilt every time I ran into an old friend, colleague or even acquaintance from the “old days” and there are quite a few of them. I have a huge network that LinkedIn has helped me recall and contextualize. Recently I came to terms with this situation. No guilt. The phones and email work both ways. Everyone is busy these days and often, our need or wish for connecting is satisfied (at least partially so) through tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networking tools.
But back to the subject at hand. Old friend. In town. Late night friendly chat at a downtown bar after business dinner. Enjoyed the conversation enormously. Over drinks, I heard about his new business and thought of several people who might find value in everything from the business model to the data generated. Good feelings tempered by the knowledge that he was getting on a plane in the morning and probably wouldn’t be back in town for months. Would we catch up on the next trip? Maybe. Maybe not.
Before he leaves, he pulls out his smart phone and shows me “Words with Friends.” Place your tiles on the board, build words, earn points and compete against your friends. Oh, like I really need an excuse to waste time, but OK.
Overnight, the Sandman does his job. I completely forget all those ideas, connections and potential connections. And then a Word came flying in via Words with Friends. “Your turn” and it all comes flooding back. I remember to tell two people about my friend’s business. And, the seed of an idea that was planted during the conversation, I’ve brought that to life too.
We’ve been trading Words back and forth over the miles ever since. What do you do to stay connected and jog your memory?