Heather R. Breaux BLOG

Decode this! My thumbs just can’t keep up with the others in the fast-growing trend of texting. And I certainly can’t wrap my mind around the new abbreviated language that cell phones and instant messages have generated. Can you?

Statistics show that as of December 2006 over 18.5 billion text messages were sent every month - and that number has grown by 250 percent each year for the last two years with experts estimating it to grow to 80 billion messages per month in by the end of this year.

And with with nearly 80 percent of U.S. citizens owning a cell phone, there's no mistaking that this breakthrough communication medium will continue to grow year after year.

So, just where does that leave me? Do I remain in the shadows of the text-messaging masses or do I step up to the plate and perfect my not-so-perfect messenging skills?

As a writer, the notion of chopping words and sentences into miniscule letter-and-number morsels simply peeves me, but I guess there's talent to be found in the art of combining phonetic word bases with numerals to get your point across quicker and more efficiently.

So, I suppose this decision is an easy one - if you can't be 'em, join 'em. And if I'm going to do that, I may as well get it right.

After a quick review of an online text message dictionary - and yes, these do exist - I quizzed myself by formulating a mock message to my sister about our Easter eve festivities. It went something like this:

It wuz g8t 2 c u last nite. I reel e think ur pup is a QT. The BBQ wuz gr8 & I wuzn't l8. We need 2 shop 2moro 4 a bday gift 4 my BFF B4U go on ur trip b/c I need ur help. Idk what 2 buy. We'll need 2 stop @ the mall. BTW, I def want 2 c u 2nite. Call me when u r home. GGN. Ttyl.

Whew, believe it or not, that was tough. My infantile sentences are reminiscent of the work I did in my college French courses.

I'm not a tech-savy person, but I'm a quick learner and I know that with a little practice I'll catch on to all the text lingo. Before you know it I'll probably have created a few acronyms of my own.

Until next time, keep in touch!