有人問我，既然對Public Relation 有興趣，為什麼不選擇行銷學，卻選擇傳播學。因為我個人覺得所要傳遞的訊息本身才是最重要的。至於使用什麼樣的媒體、用什麼方式去促銷傳達你的訊息，那就看你是否瞭解你所使用的工具的特性，並以你有限的資源，做最大的發揮。
以下使用Email的彼此傳達訊息就是一個很好的例子。請記住，訊息本身才是最重要的。而Email這個工具本身的某些特性也可在此顯示出來。
一開始，是因為我收到一封來自一位基督教徒的Forward-email，標題是”Love”。故事有點長，一般來講其實我不會花時間在哪麼長的故事上頭。只是當我看到那個故事的中間時，那段她在病痛中瞭解並學習到自愛和愛人的經歷，強烈得吸引我，大概是因為我現在也正在學著自愛的階段裡頭。於是，我自以為是的加了註解如下，並將信再次Forward給大家：
“嗨, 雖然我不是基督教徒,但是我還是與你共享這篇文章...
你是不是有自信得愛人與相信自己值得人愛的自愛,當經歷人生重大事件(如生大病),國外生活留學最能看得出來(難怪朋友曾經跟我說,留學的環境是很特殊的環境...)
這是個愛很缺乏的年代,願大家都能找到自己的愛的自信.”
然後我收到一些回應。最立即的回應，是Bblung。大意是說，這世界很美好，處處充滿愛，他開始要好好保重自己的身體，為了所有愛他的人。
我立刻發現了我的錯誤，於是在forward另一篇很棒的文章”有陽光就夠了”時，我又加了一點文字：” In last forward email of "love", I said it lacks love in this world...I am wrong. It lacks people who are not able to love others and themselves confidently...That's why people can't feel the love existence everywhere and feel they need love very much without getting any...”
但是接下來的兩篇回應卻很令人深刻。一篇是用自己的想法完整的幫我做了註解，另外一篇用了歷史的觀點，簡潔直接得點出問題。
第一篇是來自一位好友的老公：
Darkness exists so we can appreciate light. It is very simple.For most people... home is something you choose to not to go...But how does it feel, to see everyone goes "home", when you cannot go?
We often have great difficulty to appreciate what we have. More often than not, we fail to appreciate anything. ANY experience that allows you to confront yourself, to strip you away from this world and give you time to reflect and compare...Any such experience is a worthy experience...
Studying abroad is just a way to remove you from your comfort, from warmth and chatter...
And when you sit there... with no one but yourself... then hopefully, mind and eye opens.
The real treasure here is to be in touch with yourself... to question... to communicate... to appreciate...If we never leave our comfort, we never know ourselves.
As such, we never question. We never communicate. And we never appreciate.
The strength through all of this, be it pain or what not, isn't from out there. It is from within us.
Just as we have to confront ourselves, we learn more about ourselves. We discover strength within ourselves. We expand our mind. We just... let go... of what binds us... And take that tiny step to look at this world differently, to feel
differently,
A tiny step that makes a whole world of difference..
That is the real journey... to expand our mind... to grow strong by finding a way out...
Budha said, happiness is a state of mind. You can choose that state, choose your perspective...
So if you choose, you can be happy.
Is it God that's with us?
It is better to believe, God is within all of us...And the moment we give up on ourselves, "God" stops helping us (Bible has a
saying, God helps those who help themselves...) But then, if you never give up yourself, does it matter whether there is
God or not?
In the end, it is all in our mind.
Are you willing to challenge yourself, to confront yourself, to expand your mind, to see things differently? If yes, the life will be good. If not, nothing else matters. That mind is long dead...
The truth is not out here, in a foreign country.The truth all along is around us. The question is that of one's mind. As we grow old, we lose our innocence. We lose youth within us. We lose vitality. Our mind stop learning.
And what's left is judgement by a mean mind.
We just need to look at a child.
To see and feel and amaze at the possibility of a child. Possibilities are limitless - a child's mind. If we can keep the child within us alive... Let our mind grow...
That's the real lesson.
There is no magic. No God.
Life is a circle. We do well to remember our humble beginning as a child.
第二篇則是來自一個素未謀面，但在我初來美國生活時，給了很多生活建議的長輩 ”Love is over-rated”：
Chinese live OK without the reference of LOVE (or being loved). The early European (and other civilizations) live OK with the reference of LOVE (or being loved). It is the people in modern society think LOVE is a big deal.
The other "new" concept is Happiness. There was no such term in Chinese language 300 years ago.
I think that it is self content (or independence, economically, mentally, spiritually), and/or harmony with the environment (nature), in stead of love (totally relying on somebody that you have no control over).
I think people are chasing the wrong shadow when they spend too much time on love or/and happiness. People will love and be loved and be happy without aiming at it. If we spend time to blame others or the society, we are wasting time. The only thing can be changed is ourselves.
在這裡，我們看到了Email能夠迅速傳播給很多人的特性，別人只要上網也能很快的回應。但是有時候Email傳播訊息最有效的方式，其實是簡短的訊息，不管是接收或傳達者，尤其對像我這樣一個母語不是英文的人在傳達或接收訊息時。但突破時間與空間的限制，進行這樣的對談，其實很令人動容。
但最重要的還是訊息本身。過程中，我獲得很多，你呢？
PS: The picture is from
http://nmaa-ryder.si.edu/education/kids/cappy/14aindianabio.html
