Somebody please explain the texting while doing just about anything phenomena.

I don't get it. I know it's my age that makes me not get it. But still, I don't get it. Actually, I shouldn't say it's my age because my parents of all people text each other constantly. I rarely text people. Number one - it costs me money. Number two - it takes way too long and I refuse to use those stupid abbreviations like "OIC" and "BBS" (I do use "LOL" and "BRB" though, but I've been doing that for ages now, like since 1995, so leave me be). It drives me nuts when people do that in IMs, which I do use all day long, and I have to withhold my many thoughts when my husband IMs me with "R U there?" How hard is it to type "are you there?" See. I just did it. Not hard at all.

I do think I'm the last person who should be complaining about being "connected" all the time because I have a slight addiction to Facebook, but when it comes to doing something solitary or with family/friends, then that's when I don't get the whole texting thing. Really - years and years and years ago (like way back in 1995) there wasn't anything called texting and we all lived just fine and dandy.

Same with e-mail and IMs, yes, yes, I know, there was a day when I hardly ever e-mailed, and then BAM! that was how I shared stories with other people, and then BAM! instant messenging started and that was how I shared stories with other people, and then BAM! I went back to using the phone or talking in person for when I really had some stories to tell because it's just so much easier to talk to someone. And when I have nothing to say, well, then, I just have nothing to say. And I wonder how someone could possibly have so much to say all day long?

But I think the creation of the cell phone that allows people to text each other is the downfall of our society. We are just plain stupid now. We can't even type out full words. And "texting" is now a verb when it really isn't. Just stupid. And don't get me started about walking around with those blue tooth things.

Okay. So here is my real complaint. Who the heck texts while on a treadmill?

I was at the gym today, happily reading and listening to music and burning off calories (over 300, thank you very much, which is very good for lazybones me), when this girl got on the treadmill next to me. And she kept stopping and hopping off and then getting back on and stopping with her feet straddling the belt of the treadmill and then hopping back on. At first I thought she left to go do something, but then I snuck a glance and realized she was texting someone. And if she wasn't doing that, she was talking to someone on the phone.

How can she be that important and I don't know who she is? Shouldn't we all know who she is?

Who wants that, for lack of a better word, responsibility in life? Someone who is so addicted to knowing what's going on at all times and is willing to tell others what they are doing at all times? Because once you get sucked into it, it's hard to stop. (I sorta know this because of that whole Facebook addiction I harbor, ssshhhh.) It's just silly and stupid and really obnoxious to do while at the gym.

And then...and heed my words here....and then one day you get your cellphone bill, and it's got an almost 20 dollar extra charge on it because you were texting way too much. That means the world has come to an end and crazy texting must stop.

Whatever happened to good old pen and paper? Who doesn't love a good stamped envelope from a friend?