A pink taxi

A pink taxi

November 4, 2010

Blackberry Moments: PING! PING!



When I forget my blackberry at home, which I often do, I refuse to take the long elevator ride back up to go back and get it. It is my way of expressing my independence from a gadget that many are addicted to.



I usually am with my kids anyway so I don't need it for an emergency purpose. Nobody really needs to reach me either. It gives me an excuse not to blog since the blackberry usually serves as my manuscript. I often have my busy schedule in my head anyway,  and if I didn't, my kids would be sure to remind me. But  one thing I cannot live without is  blackberry messaging.....



Blackberry messaging (BBM) is truly a wonderful device that  has enabled me to keep me in touch with my sister in New York. When the rumors got out that BBM services may be discontinued, I worried about our communication. We rarely talk on the phone, but we often message each other about every triviality and/or important event of our day, maintaining a depth  in our long distance relationship. We discuss our kids, our concerns, our happy moments, sending each other pictures  from continents away, enabling us to be involved in each other's lives.

I also correspond with my husband by BB, subtle messages, that only buzz with the PING, a call to attention, but not loud enough to disturb a serious business meeting. We have now all learned that blackberry messages are delivered  with a (D) and read with an (R), indicating whether the message has actually gone through. We know instantaneously whether a favor will be given or ignored, a nice gesture appreciated or set aside, a hello snobbed or responded to.


We all have our own messaging style and I have to admit that I rely on it heavily as it saves me time from actually making a phone call. I like to be in touch with my friends and relatives, and it is a low maintenance way to communicate with them at times you would otherwise be too busy. You can chat while taking a break from reading, right before going to pilates, while sitting with your children who are playing in the room, or in a boring meeting. I make sure not use it in the company of friends as I treasure my face to face communication thus leaving my blackberry in my handbag. There is nothing more rude than playing with a BB while somebody has made the effort to meet with you.



As a blogger, I use my contact photo on blackberry to post the photo of my upcoming blog. In this way, my closest friends and family can be the first to access the website, knowing that a new post is up.



Blackberry messaging, even at age forty, can be rather entertaining. I have received a lot of gossip via BBM,  yet I always choose not to share the information!You can sometimes be having 3 BBM conversations at the same time, so be careful not to send the wrong message to the wrong person! Those slips can make for some controversial XOXO "gossip girl" moments.


1 comment:

  1. "Go Get a Black Berry",and "Why dont you drive a Pink Taxi",propelled our blogger into the domain of blogging!Recently,I wanted to know what the new word Blog means?To log on and read an OpEd?or is it the new way of spreading your ideas whether social or political to as many readers as possible? The Blogger's worth is measured by the number of visits made on the blog,and the geographical spread it reaches.
    The Black Berry device is definitely a necessary evil,that can become a social meduim,or an antisocial weapon.Like all addictions,it depends on the will of the user to curtail its drawbacks!

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