And I wonder why?

Morning.

It's just after 8am, & I am hot already.

I'm glad that I don't have to go to Charlestown Square (AKA "The Faecal Palace: the largest choice of numbers 2's in town..."). If you think I've lots my marbles here, then you need to check out Renata's blog. Or maybe you shouldn't. I think she's still getting over her experience.

Everyone is in bed.

The teenagers in this house think that it's ok to be on the computer on MSN all night. Obviously a lot of other teenagers think the same thing. Then a tired teenager sleeps until midday, and repeats the process.

They also keep their mobile phones on their pillow, & other teenagers send them messages in the small hours of the morning when everyone who is normal or not at work should be asleep. For parents who haven't yet encountered this phenomoenon or have children too young to have their own phones, it would be a good idea to set a curfew on phone calls, and "put phones to bed" at night.

I wish that I had done this: actually, I DID set a curfew, but it has been ignored. Remember the good old days when it was bad manners to phone someone after 9pm? People had down time, & didn't have to be available 24/7.... I mentioned to my kids that the number of sms & constant demand provided them with validation, & they laughed at me, but I believe it's true. They can't wait to continally check their MySpace & facebook pages to see if someone has "commented" them. It's often a fight to see who can get to the computer & the request of "lurk me, then" is frequent when someone else is on first. When they DO finally struggle out of bed near lunchtime, the computer is the 1st place they sit (food & drink come later... at the computer, of course ...excuse me, but NO food or drink at the computer!!!!), & the computer is the 1st point of call everytime they walk in from outside the house. School bags live next to the computer: they rarely make it into the bedroom: are books ever taken out for homework? I really don't think so. Sometimes. it's difficult for them to take 2 steps away from the computer to sit at the table for tea, & then it's bolted down fast so that they can return to the computer.

Yet, with all this communication at their fingertips, they rarely talk to anybody on their phones, & have a vast circle of "friends" that they have never met. Does this compromise their social skills? I think it does. They have trouble organising activities as they wait for "OllieB to comment them back.." . Actually talking on the phone, which allows quick transfer of information, is just not done. And hopelessly inadequate to me in this "right here, right now" world that we live in. Mind you, I have to say that my kids are improving in this, largely because I have insisted upon using the phone as ... OMG... a communication device....... After all, it costs me a fortune for them to make a gazillion sms to a gazillion different people for them to say;

"sup?"

"ntmch. U?"

"same"

"lol"

"Seen (enter name here) l8ly?"

"nah. you?"

"nah. She probs hang wif (enter name here)"

"kk. She was on msn last night. gtg. cya."

"k. bye"

Fabulous command of the English language....... I wonder how much of this nightmare gibberish is making its way into their school books. I have heard it creeping into their conversation. My pet hate? Saying "lol" instead of actually laughing......

They are very adept at multi-tasking though: They can cruise the web, hold about 20 MSN conversations, check out MySpace & place useless bulletins, all the while whilst answering SMS on their phones........ They have endurance, as well: they can do this for hours......

They just can't seem to manage to put the milk/cereal away, empty/fill the dishwasher, put their clothes in the washing basket, or hang up their wet towels, though..... "lol". Even one job at a time.

And they ALWAYS leave their empty glasses, packets and plates next to the computer..... NO FOOD & DRINKS AT THE COMPUTER, GUYS!!!!!!!!

Ho hum.... They'll never read this anyway.

Remember when the telephone was THE desired method of communication? The desperation of waiting for "someone" to call? It used to be fun. And you generally had a person's undivided attention when you were talking.... I'm so old, that for years, we were only only house in about 4 in our street to have a phone, & we were the message centre for the neighbourhood.

The telephone has been an important & formative part of our culture: songs have been written with the phone as it's focus. Take Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone" as an example:

I'm in the phone booth, it's the one across the hall
If you don't answer, I'll just ring it off the wall
I know he's there but I just had to call

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

I heard your mother now she's going out the door
Did she go to work or just go to the store?
All those things she said I told you to ignore

Oh why can't we talk again?
Oh why can't we talk again?
Oh why can't we talk again?

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

It's good to hear your voice, you know it's been so long
If I don't get your calls then everything goes wrong
I want to tell you something you've known all along

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

I had to interrupt and stop this conversation
Your voice across the line gives me a strange sensation
I'd like to talk when I can show you my affection

Oh I can't control myself
Oh I can't control myself
Oh I can't control myself

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

Hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah oh oh oh run to me...............

Well, that's probably enough of my rambling.... Is that the phone I can hear????? WHY WON'T IT LET ME TURN OFF THE ITALICS???????

k. bye.

Have a good day!