It’s no secret. In fact, if you know me and you’re reading this, you’re not shocked or suddenly struck with uncanny surprise by the title of this article.
I’m the worst texter, possibly worst on this planet.
I’m that person; the one that completely forgets to respond to your message, but if you’re lucky, maybe in four days you’ll receive a response to that gif you sent me that I, in fact, did lol at.
Or maybe you texted me last December for my birthday, and amidst the dozens of messages yours may have gotten lost in the “remember to text them back” mental note and you still have not received that thank you.
It’s annoying for you, and I’m sorry. But only a little bit.
It’s like this: there is a 50 percent of me that does value the courtesy of responding and being consistent. Yes, it exists, and it is there that I have the screaming, people-pleasing part of me constantly apologizing for being terrible and forgetful and allowing life to get in the way of me texting you back.
But then there is this other half of me. This other 50 percent that can explain to you the perfectly good reason for my inconsistency, and that is the part I’m letting speak today.
However, here’s the deal—the reasons are pretty short and concise. I’m a big advocate for consideration. Some of the time it’s in texting you back, but most of the time it’s in being present where I am in real life, instead of being the person constantly on my phone.
I understand this can be taken as a lousy excuse, but please hear me out on this one.
There is nothing, and I mean nothing more irritating to me than somebody who cannot tear their eyes from their screen. If I’m at dinner or coffee with you, and you're on your phone more than you are looking at my face, or I see more words in your text box than exchanged between us, there is a problem.
This doesn't apply to people who need to quickly reply to a text or whatever (I am that person as well when I have to be). I’m talking, those who over and over again pull out their iPhone and make it clear that the person on the other side of their conversation is more important than you. It’s not cool, and because I know the feeling of being amidst clearly and constant divided attention, I try to flee from being the executor of this kind of inconsideration as much as possible.
With that comes the reality that I’m an extremely busy person. As an extremely extroverted woman, I most likely am with somebody at almost all points of the day. It’s a bit extreme, but it’s a rare occasion that I’m doing absolutely nothing, and I know I’m not alone here.
Living inside the go-go-go culture of Southern California, it’s hard not to be in the same boat as me.
Life happens. Period. And to me, being face-to-face with somebody, giving them my time and presence, is priority. Always. Eventually and hopefully, I will get back to your messages, because it’s not that it’s not important to hold consistency in communication no matter what, but I’m learning what it means to look up from my device and keep my gaze on what I’m immersed in first.
