Let me start by saying I admit that this post is as much of a mea culpa as it is a breakthrough. Earlier this year I was talking to a close friend of mine on g-chat when she said something mildly amusing, something about her fiance, a monkey and a donut, and I replied by typing, “LOL.” It was instinct and before I knew it the letters were on the screen for her to see. As you know, typing LOL indicates that you are laughing out loud. I was not laughing out loud as I typed. Not even close. I didn’t even chuckle. I thought her story was pretty funny, but I produced no audible sound.
So was there any harm done? If a man types LOL and nobody is there to witness it, does it matter if he actually does laugh out loud? How the f should I know? I’m just a guy.
When I entered the chat world a few years ago, I tried my best to maintain some semblance of self-respect. I would spell out words like before and great. I would attempt to speak in complete sentences. Gradually, however, I fell victim to convenience. Before I knew it I was typing things like, “I luv u 2 sxy” and “brb, home slice.” Still, even at that point, it hadn’t reached the point of fraud.
But here I am now, defrauding those closest to me on an hourly basis. I type “LOL” all the time now when I’m chatting. Am I laughing? Usually not. I know this is coming as a shock to those of you who talk to me via chat. Let me say to you that I don’t mean to actively deceive you. Chances are, if I typed “LOL,” I found what you said funny. (For those of you I’m very close with, I will begin typing LLOL when I literally laugh out loud. How will you know I’m LLOL’ing. Well you’ll just have to take my word for it.)
I apologize to anyone I may have hurt and will hurt through my deception.
No comments:
Post a Comment