First of all, I don't care for phones. My typical phone conversation lasts less than a minute and only happens if I feel I have an obligation to call someone, or ave to deal with a business and I can't take care of the business online... Or, when I want to talk to my parents. My brother, I talk to several times a week. My Mom and Dad, I've talked to once each since my brother's wedding at the end of July. The thing is, I don't sit still when I'm on the phone. I pace. I wander aimlessly through the apartment, which precludes getting anything actually done. This is no fault of theirs, it's just what I do, but that means when I talk on the phone, I'm not actually doing anything else, and I don't deal well with that most of the time. With instant messengers, I can chat while I'm working on stuff at the computer, or I can have the laptop running IM, and clean or work on other projects while I'm chatting. I can chat with several people at once. If my parents would log into IM while they were doing bills, or reading the news, or whatever it is they do with their computers, I'd talk to them a lot more than I do now.
So, am I crazy? Selfish? Spitting into the wind?
Wow- I do the same with the phone! I actually don't like telephones because you can't see the person's facial expression. Those are a critical part of conversation. And I'm pacing, I wander around, etc. Just like you... hmmm- fruit, tree, falls...
The thing is, I spend so much time on the 'puter at work that I seldom log on at home. But I do need to do the money stuff more regularly. So, I'll try to recall or reset my IM (I think I've used IM twice in my whole life) and hook up with you that way.
Love,
Dad
Yeah well. Our parents are nubs. I can just see a convo with mom:
Mom: ZOMG those asslcowns haxx0rd my sale!
Sean: What?
Mom: L2read nub. The losers at Remax stole my sale.
Sean: Why didn't you just say that?
Mom: You wanted me on the net. Thought that was how people on the intarwebs talked.
Sean: Shit.