Have you gotten a call like this lately?

This is Service Contractors. We’re trying to reach out to you and set an appointment to fix your sink.

Maybe it’s not as irritating as “Have a nice day,” but it’s more distressing.

When I hear the phrase “reach out,” suddenly it’s summer, 1966. I’m at Hollow Creek Swim Club, coated in baby oil and iodine while The Four Tops croon “Reach Out, I’ll be There” on my transistor radio.

But in the marketing world, “reach out” is the new-speak term for “call” or “contact.” Apparently “reach out” conveys the party’s extra effort. Or does it plant a kernel of guilt if you don’t respond as desired?

I’m not usually a curmudgeon, but sucking the meaning out of words and replacing it with manipulative saccharine bothers me. To “reach out” means stretching out one’s arms and, by implication, trying to help someone else. A baby reaches out for mom. We reach out to new visitors at church. It does not mean setting an appointment for sink repair.

“Reach out” has become the verbal equivalent of meaningless hugging, at least in my view. I don’t want to hug everyone I meet. There needs to be a meaningful connection. (“Oh, you’re Susan’s sister from Oregon!”) And even then, it’s case by case. But hugging on demand whenever someone gives the signal?

Now maybe you’re a hugger, and that’s fine, but some of us aren’t. The trendy style of “forced hugging” while Passing the Peace in some churches drives me batty. What is wrong with a warm handshake while looking the person in the eye and saying “The Lord be with you.” Too old-fashioned? Too . . . meaningful? My theory is this: hugging avoids all eye contact. It pretends to be meaningful while being more anonymous. There is no real communication, except when my glasses get caught in the hairdo of someone I don’t know.

Reaching out only pretends to be sincere when applied to an empty or anonymous interaction. Does that not reflect our current social modus operandi? Kids and adults pretend to be listening while obsessively checking text messages. People pretend to visit a senior neighbor while reading stupid posts on Facebook. Do we “reach out” for sink repair because our real connections have lost their significance?

Language matters. The heart of the problem is deeper than language, but the misuse of language inflicts damage too. It’s a lonely battle, but I intend to fight it. So when your phone rings, it might be me calling, but I won’t reach out to you unless it’s warranted, okay?