Senior Texting

In many techno areas of my life I would be lost without my teenagers. I'm frequently heard saying, "Boys! Can someone show me how to do this?"

My dad, however, is on his own.
My dad is 74.
My dad just got texting on his cell phone (which he wouldn't even have if my loving sister, Kari, didn't get for him because she worries about him in his aging years).

The other night I texted Dad about a genealogy item we'd discussed, just to test out his texting to see if it would be a feasible way to keep in touch--send pictures, give baseball game updates of the kids, etc.

To my rather informative text, Dad replied, "Hi"

My teenagers chuckled. I thought nothing more about it...

Until, my phone started blipping at about 6 am the next morning. After 4 or 5 blips and dreaming that Keith was texting for work I realized it was my own phone. I will let the following text log between me and my dad speak for itself: (all texts are incoming unless otherwise noted)

6:10 Upspps
6:12 Ups
6:15 Hi
6:16 Hi
6:17 Hi
6:17 Hi
6:18 .
6:18 Hi
6:20 Act
6:21 Dad
6:22 (I replied) Good morning Dad
6:23 Hi
6:28 Hello
6:30 (I replied) I think you have the greeting part down
6:36 Ups
6:46 Gee

A few minutes later the phone rang. It was Dad. "I can't figure this thing out." Hmm, I was rather under that impression already, but thanks for confirming my suspicions.

But, Dad, why the "ups" and "act" and "gee"? Because, he said, he thought it was kinda cool that he put in something that was 'real' and figured he may as well send it.

When I was little Dad would wake me up by tiptoeing into my room, getting right up to my ear, and whispering "peeka peeka peeka". It was kind of funny but a rather annoying way to wake up. I think it beat getting "ups" texts.


Kari, next time you see Dad--texting lessons!