civilities are such a bother. you receive something physical. that in itself should be the end of the story. happily ever after. that is, however, only the beginning of the modern-day war of civility, where each outperform the other in being more polite, more tactful, more well-mannered. the sender follows with a sms informing you that he/she has sent something to you. which in turn prompts one to send back a thank you sms and that serves as the cue for the sender to send back a you are welcome sms, to which you reply you are most kind, if you so desire, or if you do not wish to seem ungrateful. you get the picture, the story can be an endless one. meanwhile, the telcos are laughing all the way to the bank.

not one for exaggerated acts of civilities, i'll bet i have many people cursing behind my back for my lack of proper upbringing and manners. i also don't acknowledge when people give me instructions or information. most will send back a simple noted or a brief ok. i have to practically twist my arm and force my obstinate self to acknowledge selective smses when my rude alter ego so allows. most days i just keep stubbornly silent. i guess that is arrogance on my part, not something that i am proud of. however, despite this flaw in character, i adamantly refuses to throw away good money for simple acts of civilities which mean nothing more than idle chit-chat and wasting time. if you send me a sms, assume that i have received it for i have not known an occasion when my local telco have failed to transmit the message.

and yes, you there, i did not believe it when you told me that you did not receive my sms the other day. do i look like a fool?