I’ve been thinking lately (dangerous I know) about how often I use “text” to communicate with people in my life.
I have a very dear friend in Queensland who I only speak to via Facebook or text or email, but we “speak” just about every day.
My Mum who I can’t see every day but who I will endeavour to beat in at least one game of W.E.L.D.E.R wars if it kills me!
My cousins and other UK family are all just an email away
My best friend on holiday at the moment but at least I can still feel connected to her with 5 minutes of typed conversation each day.
But how real is it all?
Since it’s text you can confide in each other more freely than face to face when you might feel embarrassed or intimidated whichever the scenario. In a text there is no one to interrupt you when you are making a fool of yourself, you can’t cough to cover up a silly comment or cheeky one liner that seems inappropriate the second you press that enter key. It’s there to stay baby like it or not!!!
For all those above people it’s fine, but I SHOULD call my other best friend more often. We’re in the same time zone for god sake! And saying hi via text once a week is great (at least we’re keeping in contact) but if we were chatting I KNOW we would have a lot more to say to each other.
I SHOULD call my mum more because texting things like “haha good word Mum” in words with friends does not conversation make!
And don’t even get me started on the people who I only interact with by reading each others Facebook statuses!!!
I have people in my life, let’s call them acquaintances because I don’t have many friends (you’ll see why in a second) who I liked very much in life (you know that thing where you look each other in the eye and speak about, mundane things like work, and the weekend) but now that I see their miserable Facebook statuses day in and day out I just don’t like them much anymore…. (I should have had a spoiler alert. If you don’t already know…I can be a bit of a bitch….)
Don’t get me wrong. Whinge a bit when you’re having a rough night with the kids (I do – I assure you) or if your boyfriends being a pain or if you’ve got a headache even…. But just try to avoid consecutive nights of utter negativity!! Words are communication and you are communicating to me that there is nothing positive in your life to mention on these 10 consecutive days and surely that can’t be true. Its just that that’s how you are looking at it Facebooker, shake it up a bit and throw a “I love…” or a “I’m thankful for” in there every now and then.
Im all for technology and electronic communication but I feel like its gotten in the way of things. All too often I’m flicking off that text message without ever considering having a phone conservation.
I was shocked while gossiping at Kindy gym like a pair of 50 year old housewives with my BFF, the instructor came out commented while looking around that EVERY other parent is on their iPhone in their own world. What’s wrong with talking? Making new friends? Talking about the weather even!
I guess what I’m thinking in my round-about way is that I love being able to talk to all of those people while I can’t be with them, but it doesn’t substitute for having them there. And I would give up all my gadgets in a flash if I could have a cuppa and a cuddle with any one of them right now.
Words are our friend … But be careful of the TEXT.
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