I was just sitting round the house
Not doing anything
Till horror of all horrors as
My phone lights up and dings
I view it like a thing unwashed
And with great trepidation
I poke and prod and hesitate
To view the conversation
And wary I pick up the phone
Afraid of what comes next
It could be a deadly assault
Known as a Wall of Text
Which I’ll squint at from afar
Not knowing what to say
Would our friendship end if I
Just simply wrote okay?
Or maybe it is Evelyn
Texting to say she’s bored
I ponder whether I should just
Let this one be ignored
And hope when she next questions me
If only she’d believe
My cell phone’s acting funky and
It never was received
Perhaps a voice that’s coming in
From virtual beyond
Attempting to communicate
All in emoticons
Or someone who’s not making sense
Illiterate or stoned
But either way it’s possible
I might just have to phone!!!
Or maybe I will seem too harsh
On maybe just too tame
Or maybe just seem stupid cause
That really was inane
So I’ll write “great’ “sounds good” “okay”
Lacking imagination
But all is good long as it serves
To end the conversation
Glorious Results Of A Misspent Youth 
This is so true, Marissa…
Oh okay…so I’m not the only one!
I know where you’re coming from.
I texted my comment. 🙂
OK (LOL)
It’s not a good idea to think about what you are going to write before you write it
Oh, this is great advice Sheldon! Wish I had known that sooner!
So I’m not the only one who looks at my pinging phone with distrust. Speaking of *ping*, my phone just shouted at me. To answer or ignore? … that is the question.
Indeed! My heart says no, but my fingers say yes!!!
People are always using words that end the conversation with me. Which is fine, because I don’t like other people.
And are those four letter words by any chance?
Though those four letter words weren’t what I was talking about, I’m sure those are ones I’ve heard before. I was talking about those texts like “Yep!” or “K!” or “Alright Bye!” or “Okay, don’t talk to me ever again! :)” At least they left the smiley face.
I must confess complete agreement with Ben’s above comment…never answer the bloody thing…don’t know how to do that ‘swipe’ thing to answer anyway!
Well, that’s a built in excuse. If I were 100 years old, I’d use that one too.
No I have followed him for awhile…hero worship I suppose…his levels of bitterness are unique!
Agreed.
Ah, yes, the lost art of the see-ya. 🙂 Great one, Marissa.
Right, like do you ever say ‘good bye’ in a text?? I’m always wondering if I’m not being rude by ending the conversation if I just don’t have anything left to say.
Is there anything that improtant to be available 24/7? How did we survive befor 2002?
I have no idea!! Did we actually do that?? Wait a minute…my phone’s beeping…
I truly never know what I’m going to do…answer the phone or hit ignore…..it’s all up to how badly I use my phone….it’s definitely alot smarter than me…..took me quite a while just to figure out how to answer it….I hung up on way too many people but maybe that was good?
I’m one of those close to 100 ( lol ) and don’t have an i-phone. My daughter keeps trying to convince me that I really, really need one, but I see that it’s constantly attached to her hand and I cringe. I told her that if I go lost in the bush it would be handy, but then she agreed that there would probably be signal available. I rarely go in the bush anyways! So I don’t really, really need one. My home phone rarely rings anyways. Peace!
*no signal
I was really resistant to the idea of a cell phone but once I had kids thought it would be handy. Then my husband gave me his iPhone cause they gave him one at work gratis. Now I’m probably just as bad as everyone else…but I’m really not!!
It’s amazing when I walk through a mall how many people have cell phones in their face.
I know. I used to think they were just walking around talking to themselves. Unfortunately, I got used to it.
When I get texted and am asked, did you get my text, I tell them I can’t read. I do not know what this fascination with phones and texting is. I hate phones. Always have. Always will. There is a reason God made email.
Right, that was like, on the 8th day, wasn’t it? I’ll just have to check out the notes from my bible studies course to find the passage about emails.
How do you think he sent those plagues? They were email attachments sent to Faroah. He opened them and wallah, viruses. Better known as plagues in Bible days.
Oh, yes, it’s all starting to make sense now.
I like!!!
Thank you!
I think ghosts should start texting us, lol
I think they would make better conversation than most!
agreed!
I really miss the days of good old fashioned call screening. The excuses were so much more plausible back then. ☔️❄️🔥😷😴💤
Yes, funny, it did seem easier to ignore a call then a text. I guess it’s easier for a call to disappear in a black hole than a text that you can see on a screen.
Ha! that was funny (well, as always). I’ve been known to write rambly text messages that keep a conversation going for as long as the phone battery will last, but I also have times where I spend a few minutes trying to think of the best way to respond and close the conversation haha. Usually ending with something like “see you soon” with or without an “xx” doesn’t leave much more to be said and keeps things positive haha.
I’m the same. Although I struggle with conversations a lot, I’ve also sent many a ‘wall of texts’. I think it’s a writer thing.
k 🙂
I totally get this as I use the phone to exchange information or arrange things and not for open ended chats which make me feel claustrophobic and wondering how to end the call
Yes. Really, I was hoping some extremely text savvy individual would impart priceless information on how to end a text eloquently. So far it’s a no go.
I love it (not!) when my kids won’t answer their phone, but will answer my texts. So frustrating. What I’m in agreement with Kim – bring back the good old days of call screening. 😀
I guess they think they can brush you off more easily with a text?? It’s odd. Personally, I’ve always preferred writing to talking on the phone but sometimes it’s just necessary to communicate with our voices.
Yes, especially with kids. Yelling appears to be more effective than upper case words. 😀
This is true!
Oh, that dreaded ‘K’! Lol. I enjoyed reading your post 🙂
Right. Like they couldn’t even be bothered with okay!! I’m glad you liked the post. I look forward to reading yours as well.
I never saw the value of texting until when I lost my cell phone (ok you know it was stolen. . .) Then, for 10 days I had to drive to places counting on people to show up. Not knowing roads were closed or daughter caught in traffic jam. Also, long-winded family member or dear, old friend could not be stopped once I got on borrowed phones. Sometimes I feel guilty saying “white lie” while talking on phone but I glibly text without any guilt whatsover, Marissa. 🙂
Yes, we like to think that we’re not as reliant on them as we are but take them away and it’s like we don’t have an arm.
Your post was funny and I wish sometimes to have phone calls instead of text messages since communication and tone of voice can easily be misunderstood.
I liked that you made sure to include phone going ‘funky’ when too much time elapsed between messages, Marissa. I always smile at references to being “stoned,” since much of the 70’s, I was with a group who enjoyed this state of mind! 🙂
I think I relived a bit of those 70s in the 80s…and the 90s…
Yeah, sometimes when texting gets too convoluted, the only solution is to pick up the phone!
Unless I see a recognized name or number I never answer. If it is important they will leave a voicemail for me to ignore. I don’t mind texts as I can accidentally hit the delete button. My phone gets used less as a phone than any other of its functions. I think I need an unsmart phone without emoticons 😉
Oh yes, who invented emoticons anyway?? Such a silly way to communicate. I’m always thinking, ‘she sent me a smiley face. What am I supposed to do with a smiley face??’
Slap it.
You’ve perfectly captured the rangevof thoughts and emotions, when the phone pings …lovely😆😆
Thanks! I was hoping for that!
How could I miss this poem? I often think the same when it rings. And sometimes it doesn’t make it easier to pick up when you see who is on the phone. Also the house can be full with people… and it is again me who is running to pick up… My kids are doing a lot easier with this. They can drive me nuts when they don’t pick up their phone when I call them only talking to the voice mail… urgh.
Marissa I have a challenge for you: https://erikakind.wordpress.com/2015/07/19/allergic-to-e-challenge-2/
So far, only my son has a phone, since my daughter is only 8. He’s pretty good at responding to texts and answering…that is when he remembers to TAKE IT WITH HIM!!! Heh, heh, sorry hope the shouting didn’t hurt your ears.
Yes, saw the challenge and I will do my best to come up with something!!
You are right. At that age they responded… But not with 16… My husband gets even more angry about it.
Another thing to look forward to!
Sorry…. LOL….!!!!
I completely agree. I wish my phone would tell me less. Those notifications can be quite a mess. The only ones I really like are your comments on WordPress.
And I’ll take your comments over texts
Today tomorrow and the next!
Text still beats an unending horribly monotonous and painful phone call. Most people I know are quite content to just stop texting when they are done. So I’m good with that too.
Yes, it’s true. Texting can be a good solution, especially for those who are difficult to get off the phone. Sometimes I just feel so awkward about what people are actually getting from the words without putting any emotion behind it or going on too much!
Ugh. For someone’s who like words (us) why is this so hard? 🙂
I think it’s just if the words were to go into outer space it would all be good. The problem is, there are people actually reading on the other end!!
Not like some of my posts eh? 😉
Ha, no comment.
😉
OMG, that’s so funny! I do that all the time to people who have that incessant need to “get in the last word”…. Like thanks, you’re welcome, smiley face…. when does it end????
With me it’s not so much about getting in the last word. I just like to make sure that the conversation has ended properly and I’m not being rude by leaving them hanging! It’s like, smiley face…?? what does one do with that??
Really good Marissa! I hate text messages, I ask people to write emails to me so I don’t feel bad when I don’t answer 🙂
I guess with an email they are easier to ignore. When people text you, they are waiting for an answer immediately.