thankful texting thursday

THANKFUL THURSDAY!

this week i really am just grateful for texting.   i know it's not really original or anything but my son is in another country for a week and he can't call me but he can text.   i text him something positive and uplifting everyday.   i texted my family in the states and had them text him as well for a fun surprise.    how cool is that?  

i can communicate with my family at any time, within seconds.   i love texting because i can read the message later in case i forget, really important for me.   i happen to be a visual learner so when i see what is being "said" i understand it better.   how great has texting been for the deaf community?

i admit that texting can get out of control.   case in point - i was a school bus driver for 6 years.   one day i hear another driver telling the dispatcher that he has left a student at school because they refused to get on the bus.   why on earth would a student refuse to go home on the bus?   she wasn't finished with her text.   no cell phones allowed on the bus and she was in the middle of texting her friend.   well, darn, mean bus driver.   it gets better.   she was texting her friend that was standing next to her and actually did get on the very same bus.     keeps getting better. . . that friend texted her that she was getting left behind from the bus, (against school rules).   the girl on the bus then called the dispatcher and tried to get the bus driver in trouble for leaving her friend.   at this point i was back from my route and in the dispatchers office.   the dispatcher promptly radioed the driver to confiscate the girl's phone who was on the bus.   yes, she called the dispatcher from the bus.   i can't figure out why she got caught, duh!   then the girl who was left called and attempted the same thing.   she was told, "well, next time you need to get your happy little butt on the bus and you won't get left behind".   i love our dispatcher.

everything has it's "too much".    all stupidity aside, texting is a great tool.    

several businesses have increased their business with text coupons, contests, special events and ads.

many schools use texting for emergency alerts, cancellations, and notifications.   it was used in the 2008 virginia tech shooting.

i've seen tv shows and heard of concerts nad sporting events using texting to increase fan participation.   they show texts to the show/band or fan to fan on the screen.   makes for fun wedding proposals i guess.

there have been commercials advertising the ability to send money and call time with texts.

newspapers, various news entities, realitors, churches, doctors, delivery services, groups, teams, etc, use texting for quick communication.   you can subscribe for weather and road updates as well.  

one of the important ones is amber alerts.   amber alerts can go out immediately to every phone is an area.   they have actually helped out in some cases.

check in to your flight.   makes things so much quicker.

sms can even be used to remote control things.  ok, they can set off bombs too, but people are going to do what they are going to do.

evidently in some places you can use your phone to find a potty.   that is kind of. . .hmmm. . . weird. . .but good if your in need.

you may remember the texting for a cause thing during the fund raisers for haiti.

texting is super handy, much more efficient than the beeper, which is where it got it's start.   now able to send pictures and video it's amazing what the palm of our hand can do.

texting is an amazing thing for so many reasons, but today, i'm just happy to get, "i love you guys" from my son.