Dear person whose text I didn’t reply to,You are important to me and I’m grateful that you want to chat.
If you’re my friend or family — I love you and I’m stoked I have people in my life that want to chat with me or hang out or ask advice or give advice.
If you’re a phone company or lawnmower man chasing a payment — hell, I’m even grateful for you. It means I have phones and lawns.
But I am not contactable right now and that is okay. Because I am human.
I’m off doing “life things” like maybe lying under a tree with my daughter, writing a book, driving somewhere or cooking dinner. Maybe I just want to poo in peace without having to type out a text message or try to conceal the sound of a flushing toilet as we chat.
Unfortunately — as a human — my energy, capacity and attention is not endless.
Please don’t try any other forms of communication to get to me.
I saw you — I just don’t want to answer you right now.
I’m not sorry about it and that is okay.
While waiting, you could go do other things too. Beaches are great. Coffee is too. Doing something with your awesome talents. Maybe you could contact the person that is waiting for you to get back to them (I bet there’s at least one). If not, call someone you love and tell them, just because.
One thing you shouldn’t do is worry that I don’t like you, love you, appreciate you or that I am ignoring you.
I’m not. I’m just human.
You might not be the only person trying to contact me. Therefore it may take a few hours, maybe a few days or even a few weeks to get back to you. This is not an affront to you. This is me doing the best I can.
If it is urgent I promise I will respond as quickly as possible.
If it’s for a chat I will wait until I have enough time to commit a proper moment when I can give you my best. Really absorb all those wonderful things you tell me and have enthusiasm while telling stories to you, too.
I will try to let you know if it’s going to be a while. Sometimes I will forget. Because I am a human.
As such, I promise that when I want to contact you, I will remember all of the above things.
I promise I will remember I am not the centre of your universe and that you might be walking your dog, driving somewhere great or simply don’t feel like talking.
I promise you that I will not give in to the temptation of contacting you via every other avenue of communication. I will want to. Because we live in a modern world and we are told this is okay. I know that it’s not.
I promise to catch my breath and feel happy instead feeling like you are out there doing awesome things or important things or annoying things that need to be done anyway.
I promise that if you take a while, I won’t make up stories in my head or get angry or feel devalued. I know that life doesn’t always go to plan. That we get busy, tired and stressed.
I promise to remind myself that there is a strange pleasure in waiting for something — one that’s often forgotten. That I don’t need all the answers right now. That I am not entitled to any time of yours that you are not able or willing to give.
Most of all — I promise to remember that you are human too.
Chat soon, okay?
Em