Technology is Wonderful

Today I tried talking to several people on the phone, and remembered why I so deeply love texting.  The fact is, I am hard of hearing as all hell.  When I talk to people over a cell connection, I can hardly make out what they are saying (This goes for everyone from complete strangers to my own mother), even with the relatively clear connections we Americans enjoy today.  And if they have an accent--forget it.  I will listen with my whole heart (or ear) and not catch more than one or two words in twenty.  This is putting a kink in my ability to connect with others, in a pretty big ****ing way.

Also, I watched the end of a movie with my friend B.  It's one we started several weeks ago, and just never finished.  Yes, yes, feel free to "Boo" me down now, since I'm not supposed to be watching the tube.  I broke the rules.  Blah.

But this brings up a dilemma: How do I navigate interacting with people, based on all the restrictions?  B and I talked away most of the evening, and spent part of the time watching the end of the movie.  When the movie ended, we talked about it as a film, and as a modern interpretation of Othello.  It was great!  Totally quality time.  And now that I'm attempting to go on dates, people are texting me, and some are saying, "Shoot me a text!"  Should I just be weird and awkward and call them?  And then try to understand what in the world they are saying to me?  That's what I've done so far, and I hate it.