Monday, December 7, 2009

Texting

My one and only sister is in South Korea right now and for the first time yesterday, we texted. We've talked on the phone and over Skype; we've emailed...but something about getting texts from her was really exciting. Naturally, speaking with her is always the best, but getting these little texts just felt so instantaneous and personal. It was great.

With so many various ways of communicating nowadays, certain modes of communication are considered more acceptable for certain situations than they used to be. How many people out there have now been invited to a wedding via email? Email?! I think this has become okay because email is the crown jewel of electronic communication. If someone really cares, they'll send an email. If someone sends a text or a FB message...not so much.

Here's is how I rank electronic communication, by importance:

1. Phonecall
2. Text
3. Email
4. Facebook/MySpace message
5. Twitter

Am I forgetting something?

Now, of course there are exceptions. Text and email are easily blurred, depending on who you are talking to and how much you have to say. For instance, my mother doesn't text and I obviously don't feel like she cares less because she emails me instead. (Actually, she always calls; she's the best.)

So, to bring this post full circle, getting these texts from my sister, who is oh-so far away, felt surprisingly personal. Although she and I call and email, it's hard to catch each other because of the time difference, schedules and cost. But with texting, it can be a spur-of-the-moment, sweet message. Just a quick little hello, from across the ocean, no matter what's going on. All our disconnects disappear and it's straight from her to me.

I love you, M.

3 comments:

  1. what about letters by post?
    where do they fit in?

    ReplyDelete
  2. It doesn't get better than a real letter sent in the mail. They are the absolute best.

    But nowadays it seems like email has taken the place that letters used to fill, making real letters all the more special and rare.

    If you send me your address Stuart, I'll send you a letter!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stuart J. McPherson
    555 Shaw St.
    Toronto, ON
    M6G 3L5

    and including your address on the envelope will guarantee a reply letter

    ReplyDelete

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