TEXTING with my iPhone in the Pool by the Waterfall

Robert EbsenOP-ED

This morning while pondering my essay topic for this week, I thought about how relaxed I felt in my pool, next to the running waterfall, while I texted my wife. Now I had my essay topic – something I really liked doing. I have likely written more than enough about the iPhone, pool, and waterfall.

The only new thing here is texting. Sure, I’ve tried texting on occasion but now that my wife has returned to work, texting is the way to reach her without her phone ringing to disrupt her work.

Utilizing the wonderful FIND feature of WORD, I just finished counting the number of my essays in which the words “text,” “iPhone,” “pool,” and “waterfall” appeared. As I thought, texting is a new essay topic – the word “text” in the context of “texting” appeared just one time, in the essay SIRI and JABRA – Good Friends. The word “iPhone” appeared in 26 of my 245 essays, “pool” appeared in 39 essays, and “waterfall” appeared in 4 essays. Now I will talk about texting and the reasons I like it so far.

The neat part about texting is that I can click on the little microphone icon and dictate my text. This is especially helpful in the pool, with the iPhone in its waterproof holder. Although I can push the buttons through the holder, it is so much more convenient to dictate my messages.

With the waterfall turned on, making its delightful but noisy gurgling sounds, I can send and receive silent text messages.

I like seeing the linked text messages that appear on the iPhone. I can scroll back to earlier messages in the chain if I want to review them.

I like the color-coded messages because I can see at a glance which are from me and which are from my wife. Texting is like having a silent conversation in real time. I like being able to send and receive pictures in my texts.

Finally, I look forward to learning a great deal more about texting. I wonder if the number of my texts will someday outnumber my emails. My kids have been texting for a long time. Perhaps I will discover the joy texting gives them. That will be special!

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com