I annoy my grandchildren when I call them on their cell phones. They would rather text me, “Hi Mia, wha u want? I want to talk to you, silly. Give me a call.
So what, if they call me old school!
We old schoolers have nothing to be embarrassed about? We like progress and technology, but we can still appreciate things that are ‘old fashion.’
Yes, I still like yes ma’am or no ma’am responses from children instead of no or yes. And yes, I appreciate the ‘ladies and girls first’ courtesies from boys and men.
Thanks, guys, for holding the door open instead of closing it in my face.
And yes, I would rather hear your voice than read your text. I prefer an old fashion phone call. The smile in someone’s voice beats an emoji on a screen or the letters LOL. I want to hear the chuckle or hearty laugh.
Let’s voice our words and use our voices. My voice authenticates me—160 characters in a chat or text box don’t do justice.
Are we really too busy to converse, to listen and hear?
Texting is a voiceless conversation. No one can hear the words that aren’t coming out of the texters’ mouths.
During my high-school-dating years, the telephone conversations weren’t private unless you spoke in a whisper. And if you did, Mom or Dad told you to get off the phone. Texting a boy would’ve been a dating No No.
During this pandemic, we can slow down and recapture the magic of conversation. Talking is a gift. Typing is a skill.
Plus, what about texting etiquette?
I googled texting etiquette, and there were several common-sense suggestions. Of course, there was the NEVER TEXT AND DRIVE! And many of the other protocols involved presentation and perception relative to one’s audience. In other words, think about the typed message before pressing SEND.
Using their smartphones, teenagers rarely talk to the parents of friends and classmates. But this doesn’t seem to be a problem. And parents often don’t know who their young adults are talking to.
This may be a problem. But it’s not what this post is about.
Remember the old land-line days? The phone was on a table near a chair or sofa. When my friends called, it was a sit-down opportunity to catch up on things. Back then, parents frequently answered the phone when kids called and asked, who’s calling. The callers would greet the parent, Hi, Mr. or Mrs. Jones, and proceed to ask to speak to Jane or John.
Parents are no longer switchboard operators for their children. There’s no more ‘may I.’ Kids receive calls directly from their friends on their cell phones. Even five-year-old kids have cell phones.
Talking on the phone fills the texting gaps. A question about your day becomes a story-telling time instead of the four-letter typed word—fine. Let’s see. I went to the grocery store and bought the most luscious… And guess who retired? Tammera was in the checkout line…
The ticker-tape texts don’t allow such details and continuity.
There’s nothing wrong with texting, but there is something so warm and right about conversation.
Don’t forget to call your Mom.
Stay Safe.