I Get Texting Now

I have flirted with texting for the past year. My daughter started me on this communication when she was traveling. She notified me when her planes landed, and she was safely at home again. Then I would do an occasional text to my two sons when they were at their job or classroom. Texting them seemed to be less intrusive than calling them in those environments.

This weekend I texted my younger sister asking if she was picking up my parents from the airport. We texted several times. I asked if she was attending the girls high school hockey tournament (her daughters' high school was playing), and she responded with she was ferrying her kids to their activities instead. It was a fun conversation that lasted about an hour; I watched some television while waiting for her responses. (I am hoping she was waiting in a parking lot or driveway when she texted me back.)

Today I texted my son about reformatting my parents' computer around 11 AM. Since I know he likes to sleep in on Sunday AM, I did not call. About an hour later when I was having brunch after church, he texted me back with the status of the computer (not done yet). What a nice uninstrusive way to communicate. A telephone call would have interrupted his sleep and my conversation.

I like the texting option because I had the information I needed without going to a computer. It was not disruptive to IRL; all I did was take a quick glance at my phone. I understand better why younger people are so addicted to it. It feels like a secret communication with someone in a distant place. It has a connectiveness that is not shared with the people currently around me.

My sister comments that her telephone rarely rings at her house anymore despite having four daughters. They are still communicating with friends, but now they text more than they talk. I still like to hear my sons and daughter's voices so I will keep calling. But I will also engage in a text conversation for fun.