Mortified

I glanced at some of the text messages I've sent/received over the last few days, and have discovered something: I have begun using the phrase "LOL." Or, more accurately, the lowercase version: "lol."

The first time was apparently when I was in a car in heavy traffic, and needed something to say to acknowledge receipt of a message, and indicate that there would probably be more whenever I got into a place where I was less likely to wind up under an 18-wheeler.

Borderline acceptable in that case, don't you think, although not the preferred solution. I will grant that, given the standard QWERTY keboard, "lol" is an astonishingly easy one-hand response, and therefore just barely acceptable as an emergency fill-in for something -- well, useful.

But once used, it seems it is impossible to quit. Today someone sent me a perfectly normal food picture as part of a conversation we'd been having. And my response was:

"lol...made my mouth water"

I am mortified beyond description. It DID make my mouth water, and the picture made me smile. There, was THAT so hard? Gah, I can't believe I've sunk so low. I herewith publicly apologize to anyone who's gotten anything from me with the phrase "lol" anywhere in it. I am on the wagon. It won't happen again.

Mother Nature Runs Out Of Anything Real To Say,
So Appends Meaningless Punchline To Her Latest Interaction With Us