Keyboard is Mightier than the Phone

What keeps US connected

When Dodong was here, we'd constantly call and text each other (Thank you Sun Cellular for unlimited call & text kahit choppy signal). But when he flew out into the hot desert, there were a lot of factors to consider. Well, mainly 2: calling and texting costs (Duh!) and the time difference.

I'm the type of girlfriend who is always super excited about my stories and want Dodong to hear them ASAP: Now na! So I needed to find myself a way to get to share my stories the quickest way possible without my phonebill skyrocketing to the high heavens. I actually did find a way And indeed the keyboard is mightier than the phone. Know why after the jump…

You get to share the everyday little things

I thought of writing a daily journal on email. I would send Dodong an email for each day he was away: telling him about how my day went, my feelings, my problems, and, of course, how much I missed him and loved him so. It was also a way for me to keep track of the number of days he was away…actually, counting down until the day he would finally come home (His 1st contract was 6-months  = 180 days). Hehehehe.

It started out with just me emailing. But eventually, he also picked up the habit. He now replies to each journal entry I write.

We not only exchange stories about the milestones in our lives but also the little things: the details we did not notice when we were together together in Manila. Little details which were actually very very important were just glossed over. We did get to know each other more and grow (I'd like to think ys we grew) through the sharing of details.

We actually belong to totally different work industries so we usually glossed over these stories thinking that one would not understand the other. Now, in our exchange of daily journals, I get to hear, or rather read more of his engineering stories, while he gets his fair share of marketing / advertising buzz. I got to understand more of his career moves, while he got to undestand more of my career gripes (Twas back then…I'm happier now! Hehehe! Defensive!).

You get to cut on your phonebills.

Come to think of it, "writing" is pretty cost efficient. We get to communicate MORE for LESS. More because there is depth in our exchanges as shared above, the serious stuff plus the little things that matter. Less because obviously sharing stories over email are much cheaper than sharing stories over the phone. So maximize your Internet access at work (during lunch breaks at least) or wifi from your kapit bahay or maybe free wifi in some malls. As long as it's "free" go lang!

You get to sift, strain, and filter your language

As like any couple, Dodong and I go through our squabbles too. We are not all happy happy mushy mushy kilig kilig mode. We argue lots and lots of times. The distance made it quite challenging.

There was this instance that in one of our "fights" we tried settling it over the phone. And man, it was one hell of an expensive fight! I ended up crying and crying and keeping silent (I have a tendency to clam up when I am really sad) for an hour and a half. What a waste! Thank God Dodong has a business line! Because I ended saying practically nothing on the phone,  I wrote him a loooooong email instead. He actually ended up understanding me better after reading the email.

When I write my daily journals, I do get to filter my thoughts. Cutting here. Changing there. Really thinking of a BETTER way to say things. I become more conscious of my choice of words. Instead of bira ka lang ng bira and end up saying things you'd regret…over an expensive long distance phone call.See what the magic editing can do? Magic talaga! Hehehe!

Writing really worked build our relationship through the distance. How about you which do you prefer: Keyboard or the Phone?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay