Text Message Saver

I am a Text Message Saver.

I get a funny text from someone, Spencer (my little brother) sends a dumb picture text, my dad sends a text saying that he’s looking forward to dinner and by the way, he loves me. I save them.

An ex-boyfriend, at the beginning of our relationship, once texted me “Whaddup Buttercup?” I saved that one until that phone broke to pieces, mostly because it was so out of character. Rather than calling when my best friend’s mother got into a car accident, she texted me the news. My dad’s very first text message: “Hello. I hope you had a good day. My first text message. You’re old man.” He’s very particular about capitalization and punctuation in his texts.

One day at my old job, I was having a devil of a time getting through the afternoon – I was just very sleepy. A friend who I’d eaten leftovers with over lunch and watched “Transformers” with sent me this message: “We can call it Sam’s happy time or special alone time. It’s just been a weird night and I have had a little too much to drink.” My favorite quote from that movie…or maybe any movie. Tipsy moms crack me up.

I kept my phone in my lap at my college graduation. At the end of the ceremony, when the president was congratulating us and people started to applaud us, my phone buzzed. A friend, watching the ceremony on local television at home texted: “Quick, throw your hat!!”

Another ex-boyfriend told me for the first time that he loved me via text message. I still have that one.

Since I moved home, I’ve received and saved several text messages. My old boss or supervisor or whatever (neither title never really fit her right) texted me to tell me she was looking forward to seeing me the weekend I had to go home for a friend’s husband’s funeral. That was unexpected and warmed my cold, black little heart.

I have had many arguments via text message. Arguments about whether or not to go downtown, arguments over where to eat or meet, arguments that are much more serious and heartbreaking. We’ve had the general discussions that could be solved or answered much more efficiently if only we’d call each other instead. The “when are you coming home…midnight, what?! – pick up some milk, will ya…2% or 1%...ooo, can we get chocolate?? – can you PLEASE come home and unlock the door so I can go to bed?...i’d prefer not to climb through the window again…midnight, what?! – yes, I’m leaving now, just got in the car…chill out, I’m leaving…I’m almost THERE!” discussions.

I realized all this when I woke up this morning for the millionth consecutive morning with my cell phone lodged in my hand or stuffed under my hot pink pillowcase. Since I moved, it has been worse. I keep my phone at my side at all times because it is my only physical connection to everyone I love, here or there. When I was in my college town this weekend, I actually let go of the cell phone for awhile, left it on a friend’s kitchen table, or in my car overnight. I was home and with almost anyone I could need.

As I write this, my phone is in my lap. And believe it or not, I totally just got a text message.