I'm not a huge cell phone user. Most of the time it's on but in my purse where I can't hear the various rings for the various types of communication that comes out of it - the ringing of a new caller, the ding-a-linging of a voicemail message or the beeping of a text message and I only have it because the long distance plan is better than the landline version and for car emergencies.
This morning, I happened to check it to make sure it was off or at least charged. It was on and I noticed that I had a text message. It was from my older brother, telling me that his mother-in-law had died. I knew that this was going to happen because after a series of small to mid-sizes strokes over the past week, she was on life support until her son could arrive from Panama but then I noticed the date: February 27th. 4.5 days have gone by where he hasn't called to make sure that I received the message and that's what has me ticked off. If I was an avid text message-er and lived by my cell phone like my other brother's wife does, I wouldn't have a beef with the way he shared the news. I do have an issue with the lack of a follow-up call. Didn't he wonder why I hadn't called to express my condolences or the lack of a card or a flowering plant arriving on their doorstep? Now I'm the heartless jerk that hasn't called in 4 days. Even Alex who has some questionable social mores thought it odd.
Your thoughts?
4 comments:
My thought was that he was probably thinking you were a heartless jerk but you beat me to that point.
I don't own a cell phone so I guess I'm not qualified to answer your question. Even if I did, I don't think I would text news of a death in the family. I would probably call.
Or at least call within 24 hours to see if I even got the message.
I hate text msgs on cell phones--I hate cell phones, mine mostly resides in my briefcase on "vibrate" which means I often don't get messages there for a day or two... I tell everyone I have voice mail at work, use it, but not everyone listens... Sorry about your brother's mother-in-law... On another note, what kind of music do you have on your cell phone? Bad Moon Rising?
Actually it's the basic ones that come with it. Thanks for mentioning a god-awful song and making me appreciate the Hungarian Dance that much more. :-)
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