The French make fun of texting in this fake message above, translated:

“Is that you? / It’s me! / Do you love me? / Shut up!”

 

Telephones are NOT the biggest thing in the world of communication anymore. But it’s not email, it’s not Instant messaging, and hell it’s not, what is now lovingly called, “snail mail.” No, it’s not even the cell phone – in it’s self, no….it’s text messaging!

 

And it’s crazy!

 

 

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge phone person either way, but I’d rather talk to a friend or family member then “chat” or text. My thoughts and feeling tend to come out of my mouth much easier, not my fingers. I would have that poor person sitting there, while I tried to figure out how to say things. I agree with some however, that if you just can’t talk but you want to let someone know that “I’ll be late for dinner,” or “Sorry I missed your call!” or, “My hair’s on fire.” When you’re a little too in the middle of something, but you just want to let them know you are thinking of them. That I get.

I do not GET, however, the people that think this is somehow a much better way to have a whole f’ing conversation! It’s like the idiots that are sitting on the other side of the room and mouth everything to you, moving their lips silently like it’s a secret language, when they could either just WALK over and tell me quietly what is obviously so important, or just wait! Now that’s a concept!

 

Now people are saying that text messagingis a hazard. I can see that. The sense to use text sparingly hasn’t seemed to occur to anyone, so why not, they are now hurting themselves doing it! People walking and texting, cooking and texting, even driving and staring at their damn Blueberry! With California issuing it’s new “Hands Free” law, it’s incredible to think there are people who think that means having your eyes glued to a screen pounding a keypad is definitely this rule’s aim! (Or they do call the person, just hold the phone inches from their head, like “No one will notice!”)

 

Maybe it’s yet another sign of how we can’t slow down. But geese, text just feels like such an annoyance in general, calling is so much easier. Maybe it’s not just a sign then of our inability to slow down, but more of fear of true intimacy with people. The vulnerability isn’t quiet the same when it’s cold letters, so you can say almost anything and not feel that flutter in your stomach, or that knot in your throat. I suppose that’s why any people you it in relationships, particularly to end them with, and that is seen as cold.

We know text messaging will NEVER replace conversations, but are we so addicted to the safety a distance of it, that we almost enable our own social fears?

 

But there are good things about text messaging. I don’t enjoy HEARING your side of the conversation, no matter what you think, or how important or popular it makes you appear, your screaming to the world that “I’M ON THE PHONE” isn’t getting you any extra points. (Although I’m sure messaging would not stop the endless pacing around front yards, griping mobile’s, text or talk.)

 

Am I a neo-luddite? No, not really. Technology is great, if it’s worth something, otherwise, and most often, it’s more junk to buy with money you may not always have, a status symbol, a crutch, another distraction from our dull, monotonous being.

When phones start to out number people, that’s when you have to wonder what we’re actually doing.

 

l8r!