Text Messaging 101

Text messaging. It's the new thing---the latest way to communicate. It's technological, effecient and makes me feel quite computer/cell-phone savvy and yet it is lacking one VERY important aspect. Tone. We all know HOW you say something is just as important as WHAT you say. Well, today, I let my feelings get really hurt by a text messaging "talk" me and my hubby had. After it all, I sat back and thought...WHAT went wrong here? I have decided to share the conversation with you and let you decide for yourself.

It began with a call to my hubby which he hurried me through. He had told me he was out eating lunch with the guys from work and I could hear lots of talking and laughing in the back ground. When we hung up, I felt like my call had been quite an inconvenience to him and it hurt my feelings that he "didn't have time to talk to me."

Now begins the text messaging:

Me: "I won't bother you any more...sorry."

Matt: "Shut up. We are sitting here visiting."

Me: "HOW DARE you tell me to shut up! I am home taking care of our home and children and I call you and tell you I miss you and you treat me like I am interrupting your fun. That is one of the most insensitive things you have ever said to me. Why don't you just hang out with your friends tonight instead of coming home..."

Matt: "I did not mean it like that. You need to chill out. You're way too touchy."

Me: "I am the only one who does anything wrong, huh? You did tell me to shut up and I don't give a darn HOW you meant it. That was a jerky thing to say to your wife. I will be sure to erase that love note I left you in the shower...what was I even thinking? I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Then he actually called me and (after an argument) we both realized that really, the whole thing was just a big misunderstanding. In the beginning when I had called him, I had asked if it was an okay time to talk. He said it was, but then proceeded to rush me off the phone. What was really going on was that he was sitting a table with a large group of people who were all talking and he told me it was an okay time to talk because he didn't want to be rude...but really, it wasn't a great time to get into a conversation.
Anyway, I just realized that SO much can be confused just by the way something is said. I am reading a book right now called "Motivating your man God's way" and it talks about this too. It's a good book (so far) and I would recommend it to any of you wives out there who have trouble communicating effectively with your husband.
Well, the kids are about to tear up the house (I've been on here too long I guess) so I better go! Have a great day and save those text messages for simple messages with no hidden meanings!