The Unfortunate Curse of Being Considerate in the Time of Text Messaging

This old geezer is stuck in the 80s. Help!

I n the summer of 1987, my best friend from high school went back to visit her hometown of then Yugoslavia. I missed her immensely.

I scribbled my feelings on a stationery paper, in cursive and all.

I picked out the purple hydrangea from our garden and inserted them into the envelope.

I decorated the stationery with scratch-and-smell vanilla cupcake stickers. The last touch — applying my mom’s reddest lipstick and kissing the envelope.

I cycled to the post office, half an hour away from our house, licked the stamp and away it flew.

Every evening, giddy with anticipation, I opened the mailbox, shifting through junk mail.

When the letter arrived, I ripped the envelope, glitter spilling, me giggling, feeling warm and fuzzy.

Forward to 2022.

I message my friend on WhatsApp. No response for a day. Then:

My friend: “Hey. What’s up?”

Me: “Hey, just saying hi. How you doing?”

…2 minutes later…

My friend: “Good. Busy at work, but good. You?”

Me: “Oh, you know, just being a mom, same old.”

…8 minutes later…

My friend: “Good for you!”

Me: “How’s Thomas?”

…1 minute later…

My friend: “He’s good. Looking for a new job.”

Me: “What kinda job is he looking for?”

…Disappears

We’re all busy. I’m a mom to a 3-year-old boy, for god’s sake. I get it. One can’t expect a response to a message…

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