The Evils of Drinking

There are all kinds of ways communication happens such as telephone conversations, emailing, letters delivered by the pony express, Facebook, texting, and so forth.  Each form has their purpose.  Even though face to face conversations like the look you in the eye kind, are best, people, many times, will text instead.

Text messaging does not provide all the elements of communication.  Someone could send a message saying, “I am happy!”  How happy?  Are they really happy?  Are they being sarcastic?  You see, a great deal of communication is not expressed here.  You don’t hear voice inflection and body language.  Of course, a type of smilie face can be inserted to help this, but the twinkles in people’s eyes are missing.

People need not be slack in checking their spelling of words in text messages.  Misspelled words can change the whole meaning of a sentence.  My husband and I exchanged text messaging one evening that was misunderstood.  It was hilarious!

We (Christopher, Hannah, and I) stopped by our Sonic Drive Inn here in Lebanon, Missouri to purchase a treat of fountain drinks before picking Steve up from the pharmacy.  We were going to Wednesday evening services at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.  It was 7 o’clock as we pulled into Smitty’s parking lot.  As I moved the gear to park, I heard, “Bllllllink!”  I love the blink sound, because it means that someone is sending me a text.  “It’s Steve!” I said laughing.  Here is how the conversation went.

Steve:  “I am almost finished.  Where are you?”

Me:  “I am in the lit.”

Me:  “We have drinks!”

Me:  Sent a series of diffferent smilie faces such as happy, winking, sunglasses, etc…

Smiling, Steve hops in the car and says, “You all must be having a wonderful time of it?”  “What?” I ask.  Steve says, “In your text messages you said that you are lit and have drinks!”  I laughed, “What are you talking about?”  Steve shows me the conversation on his phone.  It looked so different from the truth of the situation

I became lazy in my typing of the word, “lot”.  I saw the typo, but I thought Steve will know what I mean.  I left out the word, Sonic.  I was feeling really happy and I like smilie faces, which is why I decided to include so many of them.

This texting conversation became quite different from my intentions due to carelessness

on my part.  Even though we all had a good laugh, I realized just how important it is to take the extra time to communicate properly.

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”  Proverbs 6:6