I know I am verbose. I think it is as a result of reading too many 1930s novels, or an early education on the stage (all that Shakespeare, you know). Or perhaps it is just how I am made.

However, as to why you are here.

Did you email me and get a brief reply?

Much more concise than expected?

I know. There is a reason for that, and don’t worry, it’s not that I don’t care about you, or love you, or want to burn up the phone lines talking to you for hours. I most probably do.

Want just the essentials?

Brief replies let me stay well and keep the conversation flowing freely. 

Want more details?

I’m a Trail Blazer living with health challenges who gets a lot of emails. At this point I have three options:

1) Put off replying to you ’till I feel up to doing it “properly” thereby stalling the conversation and making you wait nearly-forever. This also makes us both sad as I want to write you reams and can’t, and you want a reply. After all, isn’t that why you emailed me in the first place?

2) Hire someone to reply to my emails for me. This may have to happen at some point, but I want to talk to you myself, I really do.

3) Make my replies brief and quick to respect my time, energy and needs as well as yours.

I pick number 3 and we can keep our communication conscious and flowing.

Everyone gets lots of emails, and many people have health challenges, but this is how I have chosen to stay well. This and my Auto-Responder Robot of Wellness.

I love reading your messages, and I do read every one, don’t feel you have to be short too, but you are welcome to.

Concise doesn’t mean abrupt.

It isn’t a polite way of saying “I’ve finished speaking about this”. If I’ve finished then I will say, nicely, no worries.

I’m spelling it out here because I’m inspired by Fabeku and because I don’t want there to be any confusion. I respect you too much for miscommunication to derail our conversations.

PS. Yes, this is exactly how I would write if I could email you exactly as I wanted to. There would probably be more references to flowers, poetry and the words ‘darling’ and ‘fabulous’ would appear multiple times. Just imagine, darling.