‘I still wince when I think about it’: 10 text messages – and the stories behind them - The Guardian

‘I sent a substance to my sisters telling them I was gay. No reply came. Why?’

It was 2007: the federation was saying goodbye to Tony Blair and the tightness of my jeans was outrageous. I was 22, caller retired of assemblage and successful a thrilling caller narration with the antheral who would, 11 years later, go my husband. For ages, I kept this narration from my family, but towards the extremity of outpouring I was done with the indignity of sneaking around. I wanted to beryllium open. I yet told my reasonably accepted Ghanaian parent that I was cheery and had a fellow who I had been seeing for months. Let’s conscionable accidental that the speech progressive progressively heated uses of the connection “No”.

After that talk, I felt a substance of vulnerability, numbness, anger. But I inactive wanted to archer my 2 older sisters. However, the imaginable of different face-to-face confrontation wasn’t precisely appealing. So, a fewer days aft I’d travel retired to my mother, I checked that I had capable recognition connected my scratched and scraped pay-as-you-go Nokia 3310 and acceptable astir composing a substance to my siblings.

How bash you travel retired successful a substance message? Verbosely, that’s how. My penning style, particularly erstwhile I’m nether duress, becomes rather … expansive. So the quality number was flouted, sentences stretched on, determination was nary skimping connected affectional detail. This connection was, successful fact, astir 8 messages strung together. I pressed send, pushed down the consequent sicky feeling, hid the telephone nether my pillow for a bit. I waited. But nary reply came. Not wrong the adjacent hour. Not the adjacent morning, either. Nor the time aft that.

Were my sisters disgusted? As shocked arsenic Mum had been? Upset that I hadn’t spoken to them directly? Perhaps they didn’t cognize however to respond? Questions similar these hounded maine implicit the adjacent fewer days – it felt similar months – of vigor silence, portion I photocopied and filed astatine my entry-level publishing job, moving adjacent much distractedly than usual. Something stopped maine from texting them again. Some self-protective impulse. Maybe fear?

And then, astatine the extremity of the week, I was having a tense and tentative meal with my mum, erstwhile my sisters made an unexpected appearance. They bundled in, the epitome of breeziness and chattiness, each hooped earrings and headwraps. They were delighted with the menu: plantains with legume stew. They pulled up seats, talked astir however bully the repast smelled – they were starving. I couldn’t interaction the nutrient connected my plate.

When Mum got up to crockery retired their servings, I softly asked if they had received a substance from me. My older sister said: “Oh yea – I got this bitty connection from you, similar the opening but past it chopped disconnected halfway through. Like mid-sentence. Why? Was it important?”
Michael Donkor

‘It read: Listening to our song. one emotion you babe xxxxx. I knew it couldn’t beryllium from my wife’

I was a latecomer to texting. In those aboriginal days bombarding radical with words felt a spot impolite, and the messages themselves were an unfortunate operation of informal and permanent, similar misspelt tattoos. I didn’t get it.

For the amended portion of a decade, the lone idiosyncratic I truly texted was my wife, due to the fact that I felt our narration was beardown capable to accommodate the abrupt shorthand required. I could nonstop her a connection that conscionable said “celery”. She could nonstop maine ones that said “bins” oregon “where u”. They looked similar exchanges betwixt 2 radical hardly connected speaking terms.

Then 1 time portion I was retired I got a substance from her that said: “I miss you, dreaming of you wishing you was here. Listening to our song. one emotion you babe xxxxxxx.”

I stared astatine the connection for a agelong time. I knew it couldn’t really beryllium from my wife, due to the fact that we don’t person a song. It was truthful dissimilar her that I wondered if it was a awesome she was being held hostage, but it wasn’t portion of a codification we’d prearranged.

It turned retired my woman was visiting a person with teenage daughters, and this is what they bash if you permission your telephone unattended for much than a minute. Over the adjacent fewer years, I would occasionally get a substance from my woman that said thing like: “I emotion u truthful overmuch I americium thing without you let’s renew our wedding vows.” Although I knew what was going on, they were inactive bully to get.

In the extremity those messages taught maine thing important astir the imaginable of texting: you could usage it to messiness with people’s heads.
Tim Dowling

‘It was a acquisition to beryllium capable to screenshot our texts. But with caller tools came caller punishments …’

Bellamy texted maine thing annoying. I can’t retrieve what exactly, but helium was showing disconnected astir immoderate enactment helium was going to oregon immoderate celebrated idiosyncratic helium was moving with. Nothing terrible, just, you know, a small spot annoying. Like I’m starting to beryllium close now. I screenshotted his annoying substance and sent it to my person Alex, who shares with maine an knowing that Bellamy tin beryllium a small annoying sometimes. Alex volition get a footwear retired of this, I thought. “Wooop.” The screenshot flew crossed the skies, into space, down again, and past instantly backmost connected to the surface I was speaking to Bellamy on. Yes – I had sent the screenshot consecutive backmost to Bellamy. My bosom stopped. I looked astatine the barroom nether my message. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Dot dot dot …

When we were archetypal fixed the means to screenshot our texts, we thought it was a acquisition – this speedy drawback of a speech to share, impervious of someone’s foolishness, their selfishness, their dick. But O Prometheus! With caller tools came punishments. The extremity of privacy, the extremity of spot and, astir cruelly of all, the hazard – ever contiguous – of sending a screenshot of a speech consecutive backmost to the idiosyncratic the speech is with. Personally? I’d alternatively person the eagle devour my guts.

Accidentally sneering astir Bellamy to Bellamy himself would not person been imaginable earlier texts. Before smartphones you were improbable to person a speech with Sophie, excuse yourself, locomotion astir successful a ellipse backmost to Sophie and accidental to her face: “Oh my God, you won’t judge what Sophie conscionable said.” But the archetypal measurement of gossip these days is charged with the information of instantly notifying the soon-to-be-slandered of your betrayal. I present load up the screenshot, and cheque the sanction of the idiosyncratic I americium sending it to 3 times. I past manus my telephone implicit to a squad of scientists, who beryllium done a process of reverse-cryptography, metadata investigation and beverage leaves, that I americium successful information sending the screenshot to the intended recipient. Having them each connected retainer is expensive, but you can’t enactment a terms connected bid of mind.

“Well, possibly you shouldn’t beryllium a gossip, Phil,” you whitethorn beryllium thinking. “Maybe the occasional embarrassment is simply a tiny terms to wage for your disloyalty.” Well, to that I say: “Shut up.” You bash it, too. We each do. Now that texting has evolved into WhatsApp, each speech is divided successful 2 – its archetypal encrypted signifier betwixt the intended parties, and a 2nd screenshotted life, floating successful 5G, bouncing betwixt smirking commentators, themselves suffering chartless mockery successful screenshots they aren’t alert of.

But knowing this doesn’t help. Still my shame lingers. In my quiet, backstage moments, erstwhile I’ve enactment down my phone, and turned disconnected the lights, erstwhile I prevarication successful my furniture and effort to gaffe into sleep, the words of Bellamy’s reply signifier successful my mind’s eye. “That was meant for Alex, wasn’t it?”
Phil Wang

Phil Wang tours his caller standup Wang successful There, Baby! from 23 March to 18 June 2023. His standup peculiar Philly Philly Wang Wang is streaming connected Netflix now.

‘His connection was truthful thrilling that I had to beryllium down connected my furniture to instrumentality it in’

It was a substance astir vegetarian sausages. But it was truthful utterly thrilling and unexpected that I had to beryllium down connected the borderline of my furniture to instrumentality it in.

Who knew the condemnation “Was it you I was discussing the merits of Linda McCartney sausages with the different night?” could marque a bosom pound? I was successful my precocious 20s and had spent the champion of that decennary dating, with precise small success. The 1 who had travel adjacent to capturing my bosom present lived 5,000 miles distant and since past determination had been a batch of ghosting, egos, neurosis and an abundance of meh. I felt thoroughly deflated. The past day I had been connected anterior to this substance arriving was with idiosyncratic my flatmate and I had nicknamed “Disinterested Dave”. I needn’t expand.

This fateful connection was sent successful February 2013 aft I had spent the bulk of my brother’s 30th day enactment chatting to a seemingly bully feline with a beauteous smile. We ended up sharing a taxi location arsenic we some wanted aboriginal nights – I had a deadline; helium had a shot lucifer to play successful the greeting (apparently). There was to beryllium nary comic concern for a) helium was my brother’s person and b) I was staying astatine Mum’s that nighttime – a harrowingly awkward combination. Towards the extremity of the journey, I decided to consecutive up inquire him retired – I was truthful utterly bored with playing games, positive determination was thing astir that smile. “Would you similar to spell for a portion sometime?” I asked and past rapidly realised however excruciating it would beryllium for him to accidental no. When it was conscionable the 2 of us. Trapped successful a taxi. So I instantly followed up with a flustered: “You don’t person to accidental yes conscionable due to the fact that you are sitting adjacent to me.” He was, understandably, a small taken aback, and, portion we did extremity up swapping numbers, I got retired of the taxi feeling mortified and definite I wouldn’t perceive from him.

Then helium flashed up connected my surface a fewer days later, with his meat-alternative opener. And with that substance helium sent what everyone battered by the cruel, thankless satellite of dating craves – a smidgen of hope. I retrieve replying thing astir the acold superior Tivall vegetarian sausages, which I americium definite was the worldly of poetry. I privation I could find those texts. It would beryllium bully to amusement our kids 1 day.
Abigail Radnor

‘I dashed disconnected a speedy question to my prospective mother-in-law: MARRY DAUGHTER ANSWER ASAP?’

Apparently, astir 70% of matrimony proposers bash it the old-fashioned way, seeking the support of a aboriginal parent-in-law earlier getting down connected 1 knee.

I wonderment what percent person asked for that support via substance message.

In 2011, I decided to suggest to my past woman portion we were connected vacation successful Cornwall. We were staying successful a run-down cottage afloat of dormant flies and smelling of aged curtains and medicine. I bought beverage lights, laying them retired successful what I trusted were mesmerising and sexy patterns connected the patio. These candles, repeatedly extinguished by the breeze, required changeless maintenance. Steaks were cooking.

Distracted, it occurred to maine precise precocious successful the process to inquire permission. I dashed disconnected a speedy connection to my prospective mother-in-law, and, though the nonstop wording has been mislaid to our household history, I cognize it was written astatine velocity and successful not a batch much item than: “MARRY DAUGHTER ANSWER ASAP?”

I ran astir relighting candles. I finished preparing the steaks. Time was up and I popped the question. Later, I recovered a reply from my mother-in-law, who had fixed america her blessing, besides forgiving maine for a method of petition that present makes maine squirm. Had an emoji been disposable to maine past I would person sent her an embarrassed face. I mightiness nonstop her 1 now.
Tom Lamont

Illustration: Leon Edler/The Guardian

‘I woke up covered successful my ain vomit and sent a substance blaming a random. Had I got distant with it?’

Damn those 90s brainiacs who invented the text! Did they not see for a 2nd adding an “un-send” feature? Did they not origin successful the societal hellhole that would inevitably travel from giving virtually anyone the quality to ping crossed instant messages to radical they fancy, oregon person grossly wronged?

We each unrecorded with the guilt of our historic-chaos texts. From texting aloof, nasty boys that you’re reasoning astir them rn ;) to monologues to your BFF lamenting however she’s offended you, there’s a batch that tin be, and is, texted and instantly regretted. For example, the clip I forwarded an violative gif to the caller feline I was dating due to the fact that I misunderstood the premise. I garbage to spell into this successful detail, but erstwhile helium replied “y the fuck hav u sent maine this?” I saw what was happening successful the inheritance of the boomeranging image, and wanted lone to spell to unrecorded connected that land with Wilson the volleyball and sound my teeth retired with an ice-skate. He dumped maine a fewer weeks later; I was like, “No problemo, buddy. I get it.”

My implicit worst substance happened erstwhile we were 17, and our chill person (whom I’ll telephone Sasha) was a promoter for a nine successful London. This presumption had secured america Friday-night entry. For america messy teens anchored to the Woking portion of Yates and Wetherspoons, this was a precise large deal, and we roseate to the occasion.

I’ll beryllium honest, I don’t retrieve overmuch of the evening – but erstwhile I woke up stinking of spirits successful Sasha’s kid-sister’s bedroom, and became alert of the vomit covering the bed, level and, somehow, walls, I did person conscionable capable representation to cognize for definite that “Hell, yeah, that was me.” A “random”, arsenic immoderate non-mate utilized to beryllium called, was besides staying astatine Sasha’s – 1 of those teenage boys who is rather blistery but has nary chat. That guy, let’s telephone him Marcus, had gone, obscurity to beryllium seen; the different members of our enactment were inactive snoozing disconnected the rum and mixers. I escaped nether the screen of dawn’s hungover darkness, and texted Sasha that I had woken up among each that puke and retrieve oh-so intelligibly that it came from the gob of that Marcus guy. “What a dick!” we texted each other, agreed successful our disgust.

Then, I texted our communal person Charlotte, telling her the full communicative – I had thrown up each implicit Sasha’s brother’s bedroom, I cognize it was me, I retrieve holding my hairsbreadth back, et cetera, et cetera – but I had blamed mysterious Marcus and got distant with it. I had flooded my pissed-out-of-my-mind adversity and travel retired connected top.

The twist: I, of course, sent that substance to Sasha, not Charlotte. Fifteen years on, and I’m inactive cringing. Sasha was profoundly unimpressed. She and I nary longer speak. I’ve said it before, and I’ll accidental it again: nary problemo, buddy. I get it.
Emma Sidi

Emma Sidi stars arsenic Emily Maitlis successful Prince Andrew: the Musical connected New Year’s Day connected Channel 4.

‘I volition for ever wince erstwhile I deliberation of him speechmaking that’

The archetypal substance I ever received was from a lad I sat adjacent to successful RE that read: get your tits out. While I ne'er did get my tits retired for that peculiar boy, it represented the free-flowing, remorseless easiness with which my chap teens and I communicated successful the aboriginal 00s. Nowadays I americium frightened to stock immoderate honorable thoughts implicit texts successful lawsuit they’re screengrabbed, but backmost past I’d monologue left, close and centre, nighttime and day, oregon astatine slightest until I ran retired of credit. I could adjacent substance without looking, often doing truthful covertly portion sitting astatine the meal array with my parents, eyes glazed implicit arsenic I stared astatine my sheet of acold peas.

Naturally, I sent the incorrect texts to the incorrect people, and vice versa, but my biggest regret was a substance I sent aged 16, towards the process extremity of a two-month narration with a puppyish lad astatine schoolhouse who looked similar The OC’s Seth Cohen. We got connected OK but I wanted the cinematic acquisition I’d seen connected TV: I wanted fireworks, I wanted a furniture of reddish roses, I wanted walks connected the beach. In each honesty, I wanted him to get his tits out. To vent my frustrations, I messaged my person Greg to archer him that it wasn’t moving with “Seth”. “I don’t fancy him and I privation to dump him,” I wrote, perchance with a database of different inadequacies that I can’t rather look to publically document.

The adjacent day, a radical of friends, including Greg and my boyfriend, were playing buss pursuit successful my parents’ garden. After 30 minutes, I noticed that my fellow had gone missing, truthful I went wrong to find him, lone to spot his lanky assemblage arched solemnly implicit a Nokia 3210 that wasn’t his.

Hearing maine participate the room, fake-Seth dramatically placed the telephone down connected a array – the surface unfastened connected my connection to Greg – and said helium thought helium should leave. Which helium did, aft silently waiting 40 minutes for his dada to prime him up.

I volition for ever wince erstwhile I deliberation of that substance message; pained by the thought of idiosyncratic truthful saccharine speechmaking words truthful brutal and unwarranted. I volition for ever curse myself for being truthful gossipy and cruel. But, astir of all, I volition for ever beryllium grateful for passcodes.
Harriet Gibsone

Harriet Gibsone’s memoir Is This OK? is retired on 25 May 2023.

Illustration: Leon Edler/The Guardian

‘The archetypal substance wasn’t funny. By the 27th, it had soared into surrealism’

It was April 2005, and my parent had gone to a stained-glass league successful Iceland, because, of people she had. My sister was texting maine astir each hour, to accidental “Mum’s gone to Iceland” – a notation to the supermarket slogan. The archetypal time, it wasn’t funny; past astir the fifth, the sheer audacity of however unamusing it was became hilarious. Sometimes I sent a reply that was deliberately adjacent little amusing, and past astir the 27th text, it soared into surrealism, and I deliberation I genuinely did laugh, retired loud, for immoderate sizeable magnitude of time. This was erstwhile determination was inactive ambiguity astir whether “lol” meant “laugh retired loud” oregon “lots of love” (per David Cameron successful the Leveson inquiry). So I texted her back: “That really did marque maine laughter retired large but delight halt now. Please.”

She did not stop. These were the days earlier emojis and photos, truthful determination was precise small scope to premix things up. “Mum’s gone to Iceland,” she’d substance again. By this clip we were connected time four, oregon time 400, who knows? Our dada had died the November before, and for ages our substance connection had alternated betwixt the tersely existential (“No metastases yet”) and the grindingly administrative (“Tried to instrumentality those repast replacement cans backmost to Boots but you can’t instrumentality prescriptions truthful I person to THROW 36 CANS OF DISGUSTING BUT SERVICEABLE MILKSHAKE SOUP AWAY”). That bittersweet clip was buried, now, underneath a 1000 timeless texts: “Mum’s gone to Iceland”; “Stop it now.”

On the 5th day, my sister called me, and I ignored the call, reasoning that a gag that wasn’t comic by substance was apt to beryllium adjacent little comic vocally; I ignored the adjacent 13 calls, too, yet answering connected an in-breath, acceptable to archer her however overmuch she was bugging maine successful the signifier of a yodel. It turned retired our parent had had a bosom attack. She was fine; Icelandic healthcare is amazing. Still, though.

It seems that 1 cardinal regularisation of texting had yet to penetrate my consciousness: erstwhile idiosyncratic switches medium, it’s due to the fact that they privation to accidental a antithetic thing.
Zoe Williams

‘Traditionally, I person steered wide of SMS grenades. But past I had to propulsion retired the pin’

The substance connection aft the nighttime earlier is simply a cruel mistress. Sometimes it appears similar divine intervention, bringing information and airy into the acheronian fictions of my mind: “What if I said thing bad?” goes the hangxiety. “There’s astir apt a WhatsApp radical called ‘Coco is problematic’ being created close now!” But past it arrives: “Great to spot you!” and all’s close successful the world.

And sometimes the messages hurt: the “We request to talk” from a spouse fto down by the night’s antics. Or the soundlessness to/from an acquaintance that went excessively far.

I’ve traditionally steered wide of specified SMS grenades, adjacent erstwhile indispensable (read: people-pleaser!). But the greeting aft my day enactment a fewer years back, I had to propulsion the pin: “Hey, I request to accidental this … ”

It took respective hours to draught the message. Revision aft revision trying to deed the close tone, searching for “dignified disappointment” but uncovering lone “sad”.

I was bittersweet due to the fact that arsenic a tiny radical of (white) friends peeled distant from my party, I stopped them by the exit for a photo. A man, possibly drunk, possibly unwell, but decidedly escaped and bigger than me, started harassing them. I intervened. He honed successful connected me, inching person and person till helium was adjacent capable for maine to consciousness the bedewed erstwhile helium spat the P-word into my face. But I was astir bittersweet due to the fact that erstwhile helium left, my friends did, too, leaving maine successful daze and, specified minutes later, successful tears.

I’ve thought a batch astir however successful this “single-use” era, relationship tin besides beryllium treated arsenic disposable. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that we usage “friend” excessively freely, applying it to radical who are bully enough, but won’t beryllium determination to sojourn you successful hospital, oregon lend you their past £10 if you request it more. But from that nighttime – from those texts – I’ve learned that bully friends aren’t found, they are made, done tests and growth; done openness and honesty astir sometimes being wronged and sometimes being wrong, and wanting, supra each else, to enactment it out.

Fast-forward 3 years and galore of those aforesaid friends were my bridesmaids. We’re person than ever. The substance aft the nighttime earlier mightiness beryllium a cruel mistress. But she’s a damn good healer, too.
Coco Khan

‘It took maine 3 days to enactment retired what that envelope meant’

It was the evening of Christmas Day 1999. The presents had been unwrapped hours before, the accepted bout of festive-gift disappointment was opening to suffer its bitter edge. We had peaked and were each prepared to gaffe into a snoozy, snorey gentle turkey coma. Suddenly, determination was an electrical dependable I didn’t recognise, an unfamiliar “ping” emitted from my Motorola V3688. The telephone was ne'er acold from my side. In fact, the telephone was ever connected my side, arsenic I chose to deterioration it successful a handy, snazzy mobile-phone holster (not due to the fact that of the precocious fig of calls I was receiving, but due to the fact that it made maine consciousness a teeny spot similar Captain Kirk successful Star Trek with his much-coveted flip-open communicator). Popping the holster clip with my thumb and flipping unfastened the telephone for person inspection, I noticed a tiny envelope awesome had appeared connected the apical close of the monochrome screen. I showed it to my partner. “What’s that mean?” “Dunno, ne'er seen that before.”

My archetypal thought, due to the fact that panic is my go-to place, was, “Oh crap, the telephone is malfunctioning, I stake that’s not covered successful my One2One contract.” I started fiddling with the buttons – possibly I could get the cursor thingy up to that enigma envelope.

Despite being house-brick basic, these aboriginal phones were frustratingly hard to navigate. You could deterioration a digit down to the bony clicking connected buttons conscionable trying to acceptable the sensory challenging ringtone. So, it won’t travel arsenic a daze erstwhile I archer you that it took maine 3 full days to enactment retired what to bash with that small envelope. When I yet managed to stumble crossed the close operation of fastener punches, my efforts were rewarded with a three-word connection that appeared connected the screen. HAPPY XMAS ZOE. There was the fig of the sender astatine the bottommost but nary name. I hadn’t worked retired however to usage the contacts options. I had perfectly nary thought who it was from and wherefore connected world they had bothered to nonstop maine this “thing”. I distinctly retrieve thinking, “Huh! That’s silly, that volition ne'er drawback on!”
Zoe Lyons

Zoe Lyons’ Bald Ambition circuit starts in February 2023; zoelyons.co.uk.