Texts!

Texts are sometimes the pickup you need on a long workday after a second three day weekend. However, they can also make you sad if they are unanswered or you interpret it the meaning behind it the wrong way.

This has been a long day today back at work and I couldn't figure out why it seemed so long. Then I realized well it was my second three day weekend in a row and this one was just as great as the previous one but a lot more relaxing as I slept in my bed on Friday night rather than fly in an airplane across the country with a smelly feet companion on my row.

So I was sitting working on a spreadsheet and I hear my text notification go off and I was huhm wonder who that is. It was my friend Sharlene whom I have not seen in what seems like forever. Just seeing her name on my texts made me happy and then to think that I may see her this weekend made me even happier.

At the same time it also made me think of when I lived in Cypress/Rossmoor and my evenings where I had so many people I would bump into wherever I was or could just show up at their house go to dinner, or just hang out and talk or go for a walk. I love my friends in San Diego and they are amazing but as I slowly develop relationships that I know will last a lifetime - it takes time and sometimes like today you miss the familiarity of so many years.

Yes, I am only 2 hours away but life gets in the way. Some people have moved and others well I guess we have grown apart. A friend mentioned to me that sometimes we just grow apart because it is hard to not have that connection and closeness when we are miles apart so it is easier to deal with it by becoming distant. I know it sounds confusing but I totally get it.

Lately I have tried to keep myself from texting and tried to just dial that number and talk to the person. I think texting has kept us from really connecting from people. Just like e-mail (I see two thank you cards I should have mailed over 4 weeks ago sitting on my desk). People ask me why I send thank you cards and I say because it is the polite thing to do and it is nice to get a card so randomly.

OK I derailed myself from my last point, which is. Sometimes we text someone or someone texts us and we are so busy or we don't want to deal with answering the text that it goes unanswered or we just think what why would they say that totally misunderstanding the real message behind the text. I am so guilty of this. As I mentioned earlier I am really avoiding the texting game and assumptions. Why? Well there are some people in my life that I do forget to text back because I am so busy. There are texts that I receive that I think seriously I don't know where that came from and I am confused. Then there are the texts that I send and go unanswered for days. 

So here is my challenge to you today, if there is someone whose text you have not answered pick up the phone and call them. If there is a text you don't understand pick up the phone and call them. If there is a text that has gone unanswered for days, pick up the phone and call them.

And to my friend that texted me today - thank you for making me smile and reminding me that maybe I need to pick up the phone and call someone.