In the modern world, we have become more and more connected to people, having ways to reach one another with increasing ease. With all the email, "snail" mail, friend sites, internet, cell phones, and just about everything else (short of telepathy), you'd think we'd all be communication gurus.

But, as it turns out, we're not. We still struggle to express ourselves, to tell each other secrets, and least of all feel comfortable sharing anything.

You might be asking yourself why I bring this up. Allow me to preface by saying that at the age of 22, I thought I was well beyond middle school. You know, that awkward stage when cooties are cast aside as hormones suddenly take over.

I had thought that, as an adult, such times were past and I and others my age would be sincere enough to be past the petty stage of crushes and whispered gossip. I thought maturity would surely prevail.

Last week, I was proven wrong. I was sent an email called a Love-O-Gram, a purportedly "anonymous way to show romantic interest in someone you know." As it states, it is quite anonymous, and supposedly the only way to find out if it's true is to go the website and send your own Love-O-Gram to someone you in whom you might be interested romantically.

And all I can think is that this is some sort of needle in a hay stack. My solution was to simply delete the email. Sure, my mind wondered who might be interested in me, of all people, and of course I thought it might be a spam or some sort of practical joke.

Of course, upon thinking the word 'joke,' all sorts of devious ideas suddenly filled my head, about what sort of fun I could have with this Love-O-Gram. I could send it to friends as practical jokes, trying hard not to laugh when they relate their stories to me about how people should seriously just be more open and honest, and just tell them that they like them.

The repercussions would be staggering. Suddenly all sorts of random people would be getting the Grams, and suspicious eyes would dart all around, everyone wondering if it was someone they just talked to that had sent them the message.

As I think about how people would suddenly become "love detectives," desperately trying to pick up hints from people they encounter on some sort of regular basis, hoping to glean some hint or clue as to who that mysterious person was who sent a gram of love.

The idea becomes too much to contain, as everyone's world gets thrown into sudden confusion. And suddenly, I'm back to reality, thankful that my instinct to delete the darn thing was the right decision.

The world is still rotating on its axis, the sun still shines, the world moves on. You can breathe easy, I may have just saved the world.

Oh, and if you haven't yet done so, go forth and cast your vote for what could very well be a ground-breaking and/or earth-shattering work of art. What it is, in the end, will be up to you.