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Deep in the Heart of Textes
You know I contribute to an AT&T blog about working moms and cell phones? Which the girls think is hysterical, since they are so much more techy than am I.
But here’s something even I use (though Rachel’s the one who told me about it) - Cha-Cha. 242-242, texted on your wireless phone to get answers to questions. Last’s week’s CalmCoolConnected post about Cha-Cha generated numerous email questions to me, plus (at last count) 16 of the comments that I so desire. I live for comments. I love comments. I want to marry comments. So please – if you go watch this little video clip – click the “Comments” link, scroll to the bottom, and “Leave A Reply.” They’re why I get up in the morning.
Here’s the clip: Learn About Cha-Cha
And here are questions I’ve been asked:
What’s the catch? They have to charge something.
They do. But they charge their advertisers, not you (the textor.)
Is it really free? Or, as Rachel say, “Free 99!?”
As long as you have a texting plan on your phone.
Will they start spamming me with all sorts of ads?
Not according to their privacy policy. We use cha-cha all the time and so far – no weirdness.
Who actually answers the questions?
I suspect folks in a call center far, far away. I would not pursue “Cha-Cha Specialist” as a career choice.
Are their answers any good?
For us they have been. I’ve not asked the meaning of life or anything like that.
Guess what? I asked Cha-Cha what a penguin, boot, train, whale and piano have in common!
Me too. And I got the same answer you did: “Black and white.” Which tells me the puzzle must be really old, because not all boots and trains are black now. But at least – mystery solved. Or as solved as it’s likely going to get. Where’s Nancy Drew and Nero Wolfe when you need them?
Can you call Cha-Cha?
You can call 1-800-2-cha-cha but we don’t. In fact, I’m not sure my kids would know how – you know, that whole “talking on the phone” thing they used to do. I’m not sure Rachel, Lois or Hannah actually speak words now, other than, “I need….” and “She took….”
Is Cha-Cha 24 x 7?
They say they are but I can’t verify it because I’m not.
I don’t have AT&T Wireless. Will Cha-Cha work with my service?
(sigh) Yes. But you should get AT&T Wireless. And you should call or ping me so I can hook you up. Do it now. Operators are standing by.
I have another very handy texting trick that I’m saving for another day. You’re going to want to know it. So…..
Posted in 
You Do What You Have To Do
I’ve always liked hanging out with people better than myself. Fortunately, they’re easy people to find. Smarter - happier - more godly – prettier - quicker - better organized - deeply generous – people.
I marvel at many of my friends who make such differences at food banks, hurricane shelters, free clinics, Sunday Schools, student mentoring, etc. And now I have friends online who absolutely blow me away. They work in Russian orphanages, or create crafts to benefit orphans, or raise money to provide clean drinking water in Africa. These are regular women. No big red “S” on their camis. They are not infused with super powers, or great wealth. They just decided to do something that mattered.
My mother also did much that mattered. The older I got, the more I marveled at what she’d managed to do. And when I would question or recount an incident or accomplishment to her, she’d simply say, “You do what you have to do.”
Mom with David – a big part of what she had to do
What we decide we have to do is a choice, of course. My friends whom I admire so much have defined their choices. They teach and preach and reach deep into souls and far out to the world because they choose to do so. If you try to discourage them, or they hit roadblocks, they’ll still find ways to do what they have to do.
I’m not big on new year’s resolutions. But at this start of 2009, I feel the need to really consider what I have to do. Because as my mom said, “You do what you have to do.”
And it’s all about how you define that “have.”
A God Wink?
When Keith and I entered the world of international adoption, we immediately joined scores of user groups, our favorite being the Russian Adoption board on adoption.com. At the American Embassy in Moscow, we surprisingly recognized and joyfully visited with another family from that board.
Monday, “Irina” – a mom and social worker in St. Petersburg – posted a general “I lurk here” kind of message. Being polite, I was one of several who posted a “nice to meet you” return message. My board signature always contains a link to this blog.
I thought no more of it.
Tuesday, I had a Private Message from Irina in my adoption.com inbox. In a city with 10,000 children living in 100 orphanages, Irina had visited Children’s Home #47 and recognized Julia from the photos of this blog! Here’s part of her private message: “I came to them in 47 DD and saw Julia very small! I have its some photos – if want, I can send you them on an e-mail!”
If want….IF WANT??? I picked up my jaw and shared my real email address immediately. Within hours, pictures popped in my email inbox.
Julia’s the cutie in the orange dress. I’m guessing she’s age four or five here. The children are standing in a common area between the school/play room and the dorm. We dressed Julia right here before we took her hands and walked out of Children’s Home #47. In retrospect, I marvel at the courage she displayed. I’ve lived six times as long and have never displayed half as much courage as she showed walking away from everyone and everything she knew.
I’m guessing she’s age four here, which is when she came to Children’s Home #47. Can you hug a picture? Can you fold a blanket around it and promise to love it until the day you die? I long to do so.
Russian Orthodox baptism via kitchen pan at age five. We knew a priest visited monthly. Julia remembers our lighting candles in Moscow’s Kazan Cathedral. I think the priest either brought candles to light, or she had visited a church at some point earlier, because she knew to drip wax on the base, then insert the candle. (I sure didn’t know it!)
Keith and I are thrilled to have these bits of her past to share in the future.
The web surfer in me says, “Oh, what a wonderful coincidence – that Irina would make the leap from a user board posting to sending us these pictures.”
The business person in me says, “Wow. Here proves the value of social networking.”
But the real me – the “me” that’s buried way down deep – knows it was what my friend Johnnie calls “a God wink.”
He loves the little children, you know. All the children of the world.
A New Blog to Flip Over
Me’n'my Flip – Julia took this picture like 5 minutes ago. She is amazing to watch with anything electronic. Judy gave me my first camera – a blackn’white Brownie – for Christmas when I was nine. Times have changed. This coolcalmconnected blog is going to focus on that change and how to make technology work for the working mom. Good thing, because little enough else does some days.
Here’s the URL: http://calmcoolconnected.com/
And I need your help. Now c’mon. I don’t ask much of you. Oh, I might try to encourage you to make a box, or leave a holiday shopping comment- but that’s about it. So please lend me a cyber-hand.
Bookmark this new blog. Visit it a couple of times a week. Email the URL to your friends and ask them to visit. Leave some comments. And – when you have an idea for a blog post for it, ping me. Like, next week, I’m going to do a short segment on how to email text messages. So if there’s something you’ve wanted to do w/your cell phone, or with your computer, or with U-verse, or you just have a good idea for a blog – please share! I am not above stealing the good ideas of others.
The girls are going to be helping me, and they’re way more creative than I am. That’s a good thing, because I’ve got to post a blog a week to calmcoolconnected. Oh, the pressure!
So please:
VISIT
BOOKMARK
FORWARD
COMMENT….and share ideas for
