1 : behavior marked by polished manners or respect for others : courteous behavior*Definitions courtesy of Merriam-Webster online.
2 : a courteous and respectful act or expression
3 : consideration, cooperation, and generosity in providing something (as a gift or privilege);
1. Not being a total douchbag and returning calls and/or texts in a timely manner.*Definition courtesy of Myself, Absinthe.
Which brings me to my question why do people NOT respond when you text them? I'm not talking an acquaintance or someone you barely know or have any report with I'm talking family, friends and even dare I say it clients or co-workers. I can understand not everyone has their device on them 24/7 but what about those times they sit endlessly flipping through their phones as if searching for a lost puppy, snickering whilst answering numerous IMs and texts, but yet the one you send goes completely unnoticed or even opened, for hours or dare I say days or weeks, if ever.
Come on now, we ALL know those people don't we? The ones who have not a shred of common decency or even know the meaning of courtesy. I certainly know my fair share. But the million dollar question is how many chances should we give? How many times must we be ignored before we shout from the roof tops, enough is ENOUGH?! When should you draw the line and say NO more?! Do we ask why and wait for their flippant excuses? Or maybe they had a legit excuse but honestly how many times of being blown off is acceptable? One, two, maybe three times?
Honestly ask yourself is this person worth the time I spent hammering out that text? Are they worth the wait of their reply? Do I even really give a damn if they reply or not? Do they only text me back when they want or need something from me? Seriously take a moment and think about the last person you texted who has yet to respond, and of whom you know has NO real good excuse for not doing so. This can be your best friend, spouse, offspring, cousin, parents, siblings, etc. No one gets off the hook here. So go on, think about and ask yourself those questions. I'll wait...
Are you back yet? Did you think it over? And what was your conclusion? For myself I will allow a top of 3 times if it is family or a close friend before I call them out, and politely ask if they want to receive my texts, or not. Usually I am greeted with a bullshit line of surprise followed by the old line of, 'Oh my, I didn't get that text.' of which this is the point that I make certain they know I resent it several times. Usually this ends with an empty apology and a promise to do better, which never happens or they get pissed off and say their deleting my number, which is usually the case UNTIL they WANT something.
If that person who never answers your texts is your spouse or significant other, talk with them and let them know how you feel. If they don't listen then your problems go way deeper than ignored texts and you should reconsider what your even doing with that person.
Siblings. Ah yes the joys of sibling rivalry, jealousy and downright meanness. I have experienced this first hand with both my younger siblings and older alike. My advise would be to come to terms with the fact that the Brady Bunch was a sitcom, a written show of siblings who fought like cats & dogs but hugged in the end, which is SO far from the truth in reality it's not even funny. While sometimes it might happen, it is certainly not the norm. This is touchy and I have no advise as I've had to deal with it on a 'per sibling' basis.
Parents if it is your child who's ignoring your texts, are they underage? Do you pay their bill? If you said yes to either question than step up and take the damn phone away till they can learn some good ole' fashioned common courtesy and dare I say, respect. Then ask yourself wth were they doing with a phone in the first place if they weren't mature enough for it?
And before you say, well she probably doesn't have kids...I can tell you NO child under the age of 16 in this house has a phone except for 'Fireflys' which ONLY call Mom, Dad, Gramma and 911 and when they did get a phone it was NOT an iphone or fancy gadget phone, it was an ordinary cell with NO camera. Here all calls or texts must be returned within 30 minutes, and if you are on the road that's what they make parking lots or gas stations for, to pull over THEN return texts/calls. NO texting or calls while driving, EVER. There is NO exception to these rules, ever.
Anyone else, take my advise folks and rid yourself of the douche bags, toxic humans, energy vampires in the flesh that are stealing your precious time and energy. Their NOT worth it. Spend your time with those who empower you, who make you feel wanted but at the same time you know they have your back, and a shoulder to offer if needed. And sadly this may include those closest to you as I mentioned above and it may be someone who you've never texted but impacts your day to day living.
In the end you must do what is best for you. We only has a short time upon this earth and although I don't promise to have all the answers or any clue of what happens here after I can promise you we were not born to live for or serve others.
With that being said just think about it a while and make the changes you need to make for you. Free your time, energy and your soul. Let go and move on.
