Old School

When exactly did people become so reliant on electronic media to remain in contact? What happened to picking up a telephone (yes! once people actually HAD these in their homes, connected to a wall outlet and everything!)and phoning someone for a chat? When was the last time you came home from work and played your answering machine and hoped there was at least one personal message from a live voice calling to say hello? I think my answering machine is having an affair with the computer generated voice who calls everyday from the Union Tribune trying to sell me subscriptions.

I have to admit that I sometimes call someone hoping they are not home so I can simply leave a quick message with the pertinent information and hang up without a long discussion. Seriously, after a 9 hour day at work I am just not up to hearing about your ingrown toenail or what the neighbors-sister's-friends-cousin in law got arrested for. Come to think of it, these are things I would rather not hear about at all.

Voice mail and text messaging has become the ruler of the new milineum, folks. For parenting sake, text is a great tool for the kids to check in when mama bear is at work and cannot answer her phone. Or to send a loved one a quick "Hello, thinking of you." But relying on this medium for all contact? And please do not even get me started on the lack of mail correspondence with actual handwritten words on stationary.

I have revolted against the full throttle texting where entire conversations take place. SO much is lost in translation. A person's inflection cannot be heard and there are only so many emoticons you can add with a keyboard. From this day forward I have made a vow to use text as a simple tool and nothing more. When I wish to SPEAK to a friend or a member of my family, I will do the old fashioned thing... maybe even from my land line.