This probably won’t register as a big deal to many of you, but I had one of those “when worlds collide” moments this afternoon. I called up an old friend of mine who I recently reconnected with after about half a dozen years or so. We were making plans to get together tomorrow evening for dinner/drinks/hangout time with a third friend.

“Give me a call when we know what the plan is,” I said.

“Sure,” he said. “I’ll text you.”

“Um, actually, I don’t text.”

“What do you mean you don’t text?” This was said in a serious tone of voice with a faint undercurrent of you-must-be-crazy to it, the same tone of voice one would say “what do you mean you wear your underwear on the outside of your pants.”

“I just don’t. My phone doesn’t.”

“What do you mean your phone doesn’t?” Still that mixture of serious and incredulous, as if I stated I don’t use nouns.

“I mean I don’t pay for texting – my plan doesn’t have that service.”

“Huh. Okay, then, I’ll call you.”

It was really no big deal here, except that texting is obviously a huge part of his life. He likely texts his friends, his family, his coworkers, even his pizza delivery service, all of them available through texting, and it’s just something that’s probably as second nature as breathing. I have a small circle of friends and family, all of whom I’m quite happy getting in touch with through phone or email, and haven’t the need for it. That will change eventually, and when it does, I’ll likely be calling on my friend to help get me up to speed with it.

Until then, I’ll be using the horse and buggy with the other Luddites.