I'm so happy texting has become such a huge influence on our lives.
It's fantastic. I can constantly be connected to all my friends. If I'm having a boring conversation with a friend I'm hanging out with, I can just text someone else to instantly start a more exciting one. Sometimes I zone out and completely stop listening to the person I'm with.
Occasionally my friends complain about this, but they just have to learn to deal with the fact that I'm so incredibly popular. They also need to come to terms with the idea that they aren't very interesting.
Before texting, I might not have noticed too much, but now I see how mundane all my past conversations were. It's weird to think that I never had the option to just blatantly ignore someone who was right in front of me.
Another thing my friends complain about is the fact that I text while I drive. Again, they're all just jealous that they have nothing better to do than look at the road while they're driving. I've only been in two accidents, and neither one was all that serious. The paramedics tried to make me feel bad, but they were just blowing everything out of proportion. No one ever died from a broken leg and three fractured ribs.
The second guy's wife was pretty mad, too, but she didn't even own a cell phone, so she obviously doesn't get it.
I really don't understand why people get so upset at me for texting. One of my professors actually threatened to kick me out because I was texting during class.
What professor doesn't realize that classes are not the reason kids are in college? Why should I waste valuable minutes of my life listening to stuff I don't care about when I could be reading all about Corey's latest drunken adventure?
I honestly think texting is the greatest invention ever. It's helped my multitasking skills so much. I'm thinking about learning how to knit so I can do that while I drive, too. It might be a challenge to text and knit at the same time, but I like challenges. I'm not worried about the driving part. That's what my knees are for.
The only thing that's kind of upsetting to me is the fact that it's been about two months since I've had a conversation with my roommate. She doesn't have texting, so we never really get a chance to talk anymore. She's pretty busy, and when she is actually home, I'm always in the middle of texting three or four of my other friends.
Staying connected to friends I rarely get to see is important to me, so I make sure I put their texts ahead of any real-life conversations. I can see my roommate any time I feel like it, but I can't see Jamie in Illinois every day. I'm very fair about it – when I visited Jamie, I made sure to constantly text my Buffalo friends to keep them updated on everything we did.
I'm perfectly capable of talking to my roommate while I text, but for some reason she doesn't like that. I think she said something about not liking to be ignored. I don't really know what she was talking about. I got an important text halfway through whatever she was saying.
Really, though, I don't feel too bad. A texting plan doesn't cost that much. It's her own fault if she doesn't care enough to make the effort.
Thankfully, my boyfriend doesn't feel the same way she does. Of course, I have to text him every 27 seconds because he's my everything and I couldn't live without him.
Once he didn't text me what he had for lunch that day, so I thought he didn't love me anymore. But half an hour later he texted to tell me that he'd just fallen asleep because we'd been up all night texting each other, so I graciously forgave him.
If everyone had a texting plan, maybe some of my friends would stop bugging me to go places where I can't text. A few of them have stopped hanging out with me because I don't want to go swimming, rock climbing, skiing or jogging anymore. I'd happily go for a leisurely walk with them, at a pace that allows me to check my phone every few minutes, but only one or two of my friends are up for that.
I'm thinking about starting a Student Association club for people who are discriminated against because of texting. We can all hang out, meet new people and text together. It'll be great.
E-mail: jennifer.lombardo@ubspectrum.com
