Here is the dreamer. One who created and played with the pen and the keys of a world soon unmade. She remembers the wind, water, earth and flame. She loved even shadows but knew naught of hate. With a heart too soft and a strength unseen, she loved the world and she lived a dream.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Phones: The Good and the Bad

137. I have to say that technology, particularly cellular phones, have played their role in the development of our relationship. Perhaps in our modern world, only a few can bear to leave their phones at home or live entirely without them because it has become akin to having one's arm ripped out. Phones have become such a necessary part of our day to day lives that we spend a lot of money on loads, on maintenance, repairs and given a few years, new ones. Come to think of it, from the start of our relationship, how much have our phones actually cost us? I think a great deal more than we'd like I suppose. But, we take that all in stride because without those expenses, it would be dreadful to not feel connected to you even in some small way. What if there was an emergency? What if there was something important that needed to be said in the dead of night? I remember our phones back when we first met. I had the smallest plastic phone, brand Injoy, that looked like a toy, and typed so slowly that I had to wait a full second to type the letters. It required patience. Your phone was a rather large Nokia that I often called a ladybug that you often dropped. Funny, I don't even remember you asking me for my number. I had a weird feeling when I saw those numbers for the first time on my screen, I knew it was a boy texting me. And I instinctively knew it was you and felt the first pangs of 'kilig' and girlish fantasies acted up quite nicely. I knew you were interested though I wasn't sure. I warned you that I wasn't an avid texter and others would become frustrated with me because I don't usually reply to nonsensical texts, only important ones. You and I, unsurprisingly, became textmates. We soon became very close. We usually texted each other if we were home already, to make sure we had both arrived safely. When our little chats became intense or flirtatious in nature we could go on until the wee hours of the morning as I recall. Thank God for unlimited texting service. It was the only way we could stay connected since you didn't have a landline. It does have its downsides though. You and I would be frustrated with each other if one did not reply quick enough due to oversight, battery loss, signal or loading issues. We would misunderstand each other and that led to arguments. Though cellular phones were most definitely great means to air out our issues, it sometimes made it challenging because it did not give us time to cool down our emotions. How many times have you thrown your phone in anger at me? How many times have we said such harsh words to one another only to regret having said them later on? Although it does give us some time to edit our messages prior to sending, when it's sent however, there's no turning back. One can go over and over a particular message reliving the hurt and the insensitivity of the sender. There was even a time that I deleted your name from my phonebook out of anger. Another time, I edited your name and made it into 'nonexistent boyfriend'. All too dramatically juvenile I believe but that's how it was. I am thankful that in spite of all that, we've survived. And still texting each other, closer than ever. People have a remarkable way of communicating through technology that constantly amazes me. Though in many ways it has made lives easier and made relationships possible and stronger, it also is a vehicle for many dastardly encounters and opportunities to make things harder than it ought to be. Nothing can beat the old reliable face to face encounters. It's better than getting any smiley face or a lol on a screen.

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