Cell U Lar

Lately Jessie has been bugging me to add texting to our cell phone plan. Texting, for those who don't know, is the equivalent of emailing, only it's from your cell phone.

"It's only $15 a month for unlimited texting," she repeatedly reminds me.

Texting is all the rage right now. All her friends do it. Apparently, they don't use their cell phones to talk anymore.

She bugged me incessently for a cell phone last year so she could talk to her friends. And I finally caved and bought her and Jason one because it made sense to me. I got a family plan and it's been a good thing actually.

But I refuse to pay for unlimited texting on a CELL phone. That is what email and instant messaging are for. I mean what's the point of having a cell phone if you don't talk on it????

And yet she still bugs me.

Today she started up again. Nothing I said seemed to satisfy her.

Jessica: Why can't I get texting? It's only $15 a month!

Me: I explain why.

Jessica: But how come?? All my friends have texting..... they don't talk on the phone anymore. If I had texting I could talk to my friends during the day instead of waiting to talk to them after 7pm.

Me: You don't need to be talking or texting anyone during the day when you are at school.

Jessica: But if you just get rid of the home phone we could afford it.

Me: I don't want to get rid of the home phone and, besides, if I did we wouldn't have internet anymore.

Jessica: Moment of understanding occurs, but fades quickly as she realizes that I am making sense.

But mom, it's only $15 a month and besides the phone I want to buy with my birthday money is for texting.

Me: Well buy a cheaper phone then.

This goes on for a while until finally she had had enough.

"THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING A CELL PHONE IF YOU CAN'T TALK ON IT!!!!!"

What could I say? I just started laughing.