From English to Emoji.

RHYS BOWEN: Did you overlook an important public holiday this week? It was national Emoji day! I mentioned it on my Facebook page and so many readers came forward to tell me which emojis they love using. Do you use emojis? I really don’t apart from adding a heart to the end of a note to granddaughters. Other than that would feel weird and self-conscious.

I’m not even very good at texting. When people text me they get a coherent sentence in reply. Some long words. How can I reply to my publicist THX CU AM.  But my grandkids generation communicate with each other like this all the time. So I’m wondering: have we come to the end of language as we knew it. Let’s think about it.

We started with grunts and gestures which progressed to words. To sentences: meat good. Go kill more.

Then writing was born from keeping tally of goods in early Babylon. Cuniform. And the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Duck duck maiden sun god meant “Would you like to come to tea on Friday?”

Well, I think we’ve just gone back to that with emojis. Sad face sun trees means “I’m sorry but I can’t join you for the picnic because I’ve got a sunburn.”

With English as the world language it was only a matter of time that it was spelled phonetically any way. Don’t cum thru Ive got a cof.

Where are those lovely long poetic sentences of the Victorian poets. All those impressive words they invented: permambulator  omnibus umbrella

You see the one thing they had that we don’t is time. I’m not talking about those who toiled in factories or trekked Westward. But the educated class had too much time on their hands and no television (another lovely invented word). They were quite content when their books started with twenty pages of description of the roof of the house. They loved sentimental poetry. My great aunt knew by heart endless recitations that she performed with great drama at parties.

Words for them were to be savored, enjoyed, made the most of because they had to fill time.

Now we are always in a rush. Half an hour for lunch? Can’t leave the office.

Can U pu fish for dinr? And add the smiley face to show you are not mad/stressed etc.

Do you use emojis frequently? Do you text? Do you still try to write coherent English?

Cn U TXT Me Now?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  So I'm at my computer, in my study, happily writing away. My timer is set for 30 minutes. I am doing it! Yay! And then, from the dining room, PING! Someone has sent me a text.

I ignore it.

PING! The thing pings again, of course, because I didn't instantly answer it.

So, I'm thinking about texting. Yeah, its great for "I can't find you!" or "I am in the third row by the exit door. See me waving?"   Or "I'm late! Sorry!"  Or  "No onions, okay?" All good.

But the demanding tone of that ping drives me crazy. ANSWER ME NOW, it insists. And then we know the people on the other end are standing there, waiting for you to answer them because they want to talk to you, but if you can't talk to them right then--for very good reasons, whatever they are--then people are concerned, or upset, or annoyed. The other day in Florida, someone said to me--"I texted you! And you didn't answer. Are you okay?"

Am I okay? Yeah, I am okay, but I didn't want to answer right then. Because I was in the shower, and I missed it, and then I didn't instantly check for shower-time texts. I don't mean to sound cranky--do I sound cranky? I am truly not cranky. I am just wondering about the tyranny of texting.

Maybe I simply have to get used to it. Like the phone. I can EASILY easily ignore the phone. Maybe I have to learn to ignore texts. And texts have built-in messaging, right? Because when you text, you automatically leave a message!

So, yeah, brilliant. That's the answer. Think of a text as "leaving a message." And that the textee will get back to you asap. Really they will.

Reds, do you text? What do you think about it? Answer me NOW!

RHYS BOWEN: My granddaughter aged thirteen is the only one in her class who is not allowed her own phone. Recently her friend said to her "You are so lucky not to have a phone. You don't have to put up with all the drama. If someone texts me and I don't answer right away she gets so miffed."

I find texts really useful for updates, finding each other, as Hank said, but I rarely get or receive texts apart from that. And since I leave my cell phone in my purse when I'm home, a text can be three hours old and unanswered.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: The Tyranny of the Text--I love it! But not the text itself. I switched off the push email on my phone because the constant pinging drove me bonkers. It only takes a few seconds to check email if you think there might be something important. But you can't just switch off texts, because that's the whole point, right? It might be something important. But half the time when I'm out and about I don't hear them, so I tell my family if it's really important, CALL ME. And I hate auto correct, so texting is sometimes useful but not fun. When I'm writing I put the phone in the other room...

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:  I used to put the phone on silent

when I worked, but then I would worry I was missing something important. So I downloaded tunes and gave each family member their own ring tone - easy to tell if it was The Boy needing a ride back from practice or something I could ignore for the time being. Of course now, my kids all text me, and I haven't figured out how to give them their own text tones. Is it even possible? Anyway, I agree with you, Hank. Texting is like leaving a message, as is voice mail: the person calling or texting can expect a response when it's convenient for me.

It sounds selfish, but I'm not going to text when I'm driving, or writing, or making dinner, or spending time with my husband. And I'm not going to return a call when I'm tired or distracted or when my head is stuffed with All The Things I Have To Do. I'm getting to the point where I'd much rather Skype than call, anyway. Am I the only person whose hand and arm gets cramped when talking for a long time on a cell phone? Did you ever think you would miss those clunky phone receivers, the kind you can tuck against your shoulder? Am I actually 88 years old? (Probably.)

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: I have my phone's ringer off most of the time, but check it during regular intervals — really only for texts from the Kiddo. (Although texts range from "Went to the nurse because of asthma" to "Bored right now." Hubby and I text during the day to check in and also coordinate who's doing what after school and the dinner plans (who's cooking what, who's picking up what). My agent texts sometimes, because she knows I get things/do things faster with a text than a phone message. Basically, no one I know talks on the phone -- it's all texting and emailing now. Oh, except for Skype -- yes, Julia, Skype is great! I'm in Kansas City, MO on tour right now and Skype is a great way to keep in touch with the family! I love it when the cats will walk over the keyboard....

HALLIE EPHRON: I'm like Pavlov's dog when that text bell chimes... salivating for some exciting tidbit. The only people who text me are my kids and it's usually with a grandkid picture. But how did we ever travel without it? Three nights ago I flew into Newark and my sweet son-in-law was picking me up and we found each other by texting (I was at departures passenger pickup and he was at arrivals passenger dropoff.)

Also great for when you're meeting someone and one of you is running late... though am I the only one who thinks the ability to text makes it 'ok-er' to be late?

HANK: Oh, SO true! As if typing out  "traffic :-( " or "runninglate" makes it okay.  I guess it's the good news and the bad news. Because at least you know, and can stop worrying.

 I got a text the other night, when I was almost asleep.  I answered because it pinged, for gosh sake, and I adore her. Then she texted back: Wht R U doing awake?

:-)

How about you, reds and readers? Are you text-happy? Or R U NAF?  (Not a fan...)