I was at work. My cell phone vibrated. I glanced to see who it was.
My friend, Lilly, was calling. She and her long-time mate had recently split and she was struggling. I was concerned. I picked up the phone and walked outside for privacy.
After fifteen tear-filled minutes, I said, “Goodbye,” promising to call soon.
No matter how I concentrated on my spreadsheets and bills, I couldn’t stop thinking about how upset Lilly was.
She should be surrounded by her closest friends.
So I texted Shelby. (The three of us get together at least once a week.) I awaited Shelby’s response, praising technology for making communication so easy. But she didn’t text me back.
Weird! Maybe the message didn’t SEND?
So I checked. Instant stomach ache. The S.O.S. hadn’t gone to Shelby. I had been so concerned about Lilly, I accidentally sent the message to her.
She was furious that Shelby and I were discussing her. Eventually she understood that I was trying to help. But, for a day or two, it made Lilly feel worse.
I take full responsibility. Sometimes I think with my heart (but I suppose thinking with my heart is better than the body parts some of us think with). I can live with that.
If any of you have similar stories, I’d love to hear them.
I know I’m not the only one who makes errors like this. One of these days I’ll tell you about the guy who couldn’t stop hitting REPLY ALL. That one was a mess.
I’m not totally convinced texting and electroncic Reply All’s have done that much to speed up communications. A few times in the past when I was hosting endurance rides and dog trials I used “mass” texting and email Reply All’s. As a rule I spent more time explaining what I really mean’t to each individual.
Sometimes. . . one answer doesn’t fit all.
ol’ kate
Technology gives us one more avenue to make a fool of ourselves. We do it anyway, in real life. Those little faux pas occur all the time. Add a keyboard, an errant finger and you’ve multiplied the possibilities of problems. Add the fast pace of our life, the constant pressures on time, the need to tear through everything and it’s inevitable we’ll slip up somewhere, sometime. Luckily, for most of us, it doesn’t end up viral on national television.
My biggest goof … I was expounding to friends about a pushy phone real estate saleman, little knowing the friends brother I’d just been introduced to was ……. yep. You guessed it. Oooops.