I have a friend who is temporarily without a computer, so I've been texting him. I've found myself using the letter "u" for "you," and "r" for "are," but other than that, I try to use the English language the way it was meant to be spoken and written.I've complained quite often about how this text messaging thing is completely out of hand, and how your children should not be able to use such technology as it occupies way too much of their time without depth and without development of language skills. Quite the contrary - spelling and syntax and content are out the window when it comes to these mindless exchanges. Additionally, people of all ages are so focused on that little gadget that they ignore their responsibilities as well as their environment.Numerous states have had to implement bans on texting while driving - that's how utterly stupid people can get. Text-related injuries and deaths are not limited to the vehicular variety. In 2008, the state of Illinois proposed legislation that would make texting and walking (with or without gum) illegal! Pedestrians who ridiculed the idea might now need to reconsider their stance.A 15 year old girl on Staten Island was obliviously thumbing away when she disappeared into an open manhole, falling five feet, scraping her back and arms, and landing in a pile of mush. The workers were off getting cones and markers to barricade the opening, so it was a potential hazard. However, if this teen were actually looking where she was going, not a thing would have happened to her. Of course, her parents are going to sue. Well, why not? Your daughter behaves stupidly, so naturally you're going to look around for someone to sue. Money versus common sense. Oh well.If I were a purse snatcher or predator, I'd keep my eyes open for texting women who are moving through life without any awareness of their surroundings: whether people, entities, or holes in the ground. They make easy prey.I keep wondering...what if we looked at everyone's text messages over a 24 hour period of their life? Would we find
anything
important being discussed? I doubt it. More likely, we'd just find them attempting to create a mini-universe to live in, where meaningless discourse makes them feel important or connected - or provides an activity where they avoid dealing with real life issues.What if this teen had stepped on a baby? What if she had tripped over an elderly person who had then fallen? What if she walked right into the hands of a kidnapper? What if she didn't see a person doing harm to another (so she couldn't provide witness testimony to help the police)? I could go on and on....but you get the idea.Yes, the manhole should not have been left unattended - those guys should all be fired. Yes, she should have been looking where she was going. That's just plain common sense. This would have been a preventable accident if the men had done their jobs properly, and if this girl had shown better judgment.
