A few months ago, I met a friend for a beer after work. As we settled in, I reached for his phone and suggested scrolling through his photos as a quick way to catch up.
“No way,” he quickly replied, pulling it back. “There are explicit photos on there.”
While traveling, he and his wife maintain their connection through intimate texts. “You should give it a try,” he encouraged.
My wife and I recently celebrated our 19th anniversary. I love her deeply, as our daughter once put it when she was just 4.
Our daughter is now 9, and we also have a 16-year-old son. They require a lot of attention. Work, too, demands its share of energy.
So, sexting. Maybe it’s worth exploring, I thought.
I consulted another friend and joked about creating a humorous drawing for my first attempt.
“Be sincere,” he advised. “If you want this to be meaningful, do it genuinely.”
A few days later, my wife went on a business trip. That night, I ventured into sexting:
“Remember that wild time on our dining room table?”
I added, “Are you trying to recall it?”
Her response was delayed: “Ha no driving.”
The next day, amidst routine texts, I shifted gears.
“Unrelated,” I typed, “but remember picking me up from the airport years ago without wearing panties?”
“Ha! What a random and fun memory. We used to be wilder,” she replied.
I continued: “Indeed. You might remember us going to the Blue Goose, and I had to control my excitement through dinner.”
No reply. My nostalgic message lingered.
Later, with six friends at happy hour, I shared my attempts.
“Who says ‘you’ll recall’ in a sext?” one joked. “You sound like a lawyer.”
Another added, “Stifled a boner? It’s like a coach talking for TV, not the players.”
Their laughter was interrupted by a new message: “Are you working on an article?”
More laughter erupted. They insisted I send a photo with the message: “Does this answer your question?”
Have you ever attempted to take such a photo in a bar bathroom, in the middle of the day?
Despite my apprehension, I sent the photo with the suggested text, immediately feeling a wave of fear and shame.
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Would she think I’d lost my mind? Or worse, that she was the butt of a joke?
Back at the table, disbelief was evident. Minutes later, her reply came: “Ummm.”
I read her message aloud. One friend quoted Animal House, “You can’t spend your whole life worrying about your mistakes. You messed up!”
It was an experiment, but my intentions were sincere. The memory of that spontaneous ride from the airport remains vivid. We may have been wilder, but our love endures.
As for sexting? With my inept attempts, it was doomed from the start. For us, texting is about managing the daily grind.
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When I explained everything, my wife said, “Tell them I figured it out. I’m too smart for that.”
And that’s why I eagerly anticipate our 20th anniversary.