I Need an “Accept or Decline” Option for Texts

There have been three occasions where I wish I had the option to accept or decline a text before it came through. I’m not talking about Do Not Disturb, which blocks the immediate alert but still allows me to see the text when I’m ready to see it. I’m talking about never seeing the text. It is the imposition the person has on my life without my permission that bothers me. In my world, people don’t often leave voicemails…that would require calling first. The people who irk me are the ones who don’t give me the option to answer the call or time to call per their request via text. It’s the “I want you to know now” mentality that irks me. Here are the three occasions.

A former colleague and I unintentionally bonded over workplace issues we each were experiencing in our separate offices. We would talk about once a month in the evening for a couple of hours. We would talk around 5 pm, which was a good time for both of us, particularly her, as she has two small children to prepare for bed, and she goes to bed rather early. Ninety-five percent of the time, I initiated the calls. We would discuss various current topics, and workplace issues always found their way into the conversation. It didn’t bother me because we all need an outlet. We served as each other’s outlet, and when I could tie current events, like the Meghan Markle debacle to workplace harassment, she could…