Texting V Calling

Hands down I would text over make a phone call any day.  And it's sad.  I feel guilty about it.  The simple reasons are:

1.  I am busy and/or tired and don't have time to/not in the mood to chat.
2.  Those who are on the receiving end are probably busy and/or tired and don't have time to/not in the mood to chat.

It's not right and I know it's not right.  I often feel guilty for not calling people just to chat.  However, if I were to call someone and say,  "Hey, just calling to talk", they would wonder what was really up because it is rare that I just call to chat.  Except my mom.  But mom is readily available almost always, she's retired and doesn't have kids around, so she's easy to call.

It's cliche, but so true, that the moment I do make a phone call or receive a call, my children are next to me.  Why?  They are not babies or toddlers but this still happens the majority of the time.  They can be outside playing for two straight hours with the neighborhood kids and I realize I could actually make a phone call and possibly have a decent conversation.  And just as I push the last number, one of them walks in  to complain, get a snack, doesn't want to play outside anymore, and "Who am I talking to?", and then shoves their face into the speaker of phone to say "HI"  no matter who it is I am talking to.  So, there goes the pleasant conversation, which leads back to the argument for texting.

There's a guy I know who only converses with me via text but he refers to it as "calling"  As in, "I called you yesterday" (written in a text).  My response "U (text form of  'you' of course) did?"  He replies with a confident "Yes".  And I say (write) "You didn't call, you sent a text".  He says (writes) "Same thing".  Which I know it is not. It is so not the same thing.  Just more convenient and efficient.  But those kinds of relationships are surface-y and not real.

Gone are the days of talking on the phone for HOURS.  I miss talking to my girlfriends for hours and hours, with a burning hot ear and still so much to say.  Laying on the floor, feet on the wall, phone cord no longer coiled, but mangled to a stretchy mess.  That doesn't happen anymore. Even though there is still so much to say. 

So, I feel guilty for not just calling to say "HI".  And I've decided...I'm going to do it!  I'm going to call my girlfriends one by one and call just to talk.  Maybe I'll send a text in advance stating "I'm calling u in 1 hour. Be prepared to chat."  A courtesy text, so kids and husbands can be in bed or eating popcorn or just starting a movie or something occupying when my phone call arrives. Then we can chat, even if it's just five minutes.  Five minutes of authentic, no BS, conversation time is better than none.