Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Texting frustration

Text messaging is something that I've never really gotten into. On regular cell phones, you have to push 2 three times to get a "c" to display, and to create words like that was just... not my thing. So when we added the girls to our plan and added text messaging for them, I didn't expect to use it too often. When I went to get their phones, they had palm pilots that were free with the plan and they have mini keyboards on them. I got one for Jeff as well because his phone was breaking.

Jeff wasn't thrilled with the phone and didn't want it, so I gave him mine and I took it. Since it is a little bit easier than a number pad, I have used it a bit, but not a whole lot. Mostly just with Allie, sometimes with Ceara (though not nearly as much), and some other friends as well. I usually keep my responses short, I am not about to type a book on a mini keyboard, and if it takes more responses than a few, I usually will just say, "Call me, I don't want to type!" There are a few exceptions to this, like when Allie is texting me in between classes at school. I know she can't call me. (Side note, apparently "texting" is not a word recognized by spell check.)

A few of Allie's friends text me as well - most of them call me mom anyway, so they just send me messages occasionally. Alex is one of them. His dad lives in our neighborhood, and he spends a bit of time at our house when he is visiting his dad.

I like Alex, he is a good kid and I don't mind him hanging around. He started texting me one day, just random stuff... "Hi" "how's your day?" - or telling me about stuff going on with him in school, or whatever.

So yesterday, he sent me a message. The whole thing frustrated me. Here is the conversation:

Alex: Do you care if Alli comes to my soccer game Saturday?

Me: What time and how? (like did she need a ride, or would his dad be taking them... I didn't want to type all that!)

Alex: Saturday and idk (I don't know) time.

Me: U already said the day... I mean are u coming to ur dad's this weekend, would she need a ride? Where is the game? (YES!!! I abbreviate!!! It is not that I don't know how to spell "you," it's that I want to limit the typing on the little keyboard where one finger can press 6 different keys! I don't abbreviate as much as I could, but I do some! DON'T JUDGE ME!)

Alex: Next

At that point I just stopped responding. I figured I would just tell Allie to communicate whatever it was to me when she found out. When I got home from work, I showed Allie the conversation and told her to work it out and let me know.

So, it was particularly frustrating for me to have a similar conversation with Allie today. Here is that one:

Alli: Do you care if I go to Mik's after school? To work on french makeup work?

Alli: And will you pick me up from her house and take me to volleyball after work?

Alli: Mommmyyyyy!

(It's not like I keep my phone right next to me during work - it is usually in my purse on vibrate. I check it periodically.)

Me: Idc (I don't care) but I don't know where she lives

Alli: she lives on blah blah but her house caught on fire so she's in a apt i think... N Mik's dad loves chrissy.

(Twinge of irritation... I start responding and she sends another message before I was done.)

Alli: mik said to make her a eye apt today

Me: What does that have to do with anything? That her dad loves chrissy? And why would I make her an appt?

Me: just give me an address.

Alli: Chrissy's address?

(if she were in front of me at that moment I would have choked her. not really, but... FRUSTRATED!)

Me: OMG! you did NOT say chrissy. Reread ur msgs Alex. (yes that was a dig because I had told her how much it irritated me that Alex didn't answer the questions I was asking...) You said "can I go to mik's after school" ...

Alli: sorry I was textin mik's mom too n I got confused. She lives on blah blah

Me: ... get an address pls. (HOW HARD IS THAT!)

I think I'm going to have to start typing random things in response when they start doing this to me. At least then I can laugh at them and enjoy their frustration! See how they like it.

2 comments:

Deb Ellsworth said...

Sounds like having teenagers is a blast. I can't wait!

Anonymous said...

This really made me laugh Katie! I have experienced it and I thought your idea of how to handle is was hillarious! ... random text interpretation: Clowns wear blue make up on their eyes, silly not on their nose. :D

Naomi