The text message. The modern love letter. No longer written by a gentleman caller dressed in a top hat who arrives upon a fiery steed. No longer do we keep a box full of perfumed paper under our bed. Instead we have an inbox full of protected text messages that won’t be deleted.

We’ve brought love into the modern age, so now the question is, how textual are you? Are you a text flirt? Into text sex? Or are you the person who uses SMS to break up with your ‘not so special’ someone?

The problem with the written word is that it’s something that can be re-read and over analysed leaving us wondering why you said ‘U R g8 babe’ before being spotted out with a new text love-muffin at the pub.

There are many signs of affection for courting. Words like “babe” or “hun” and “sexy” or “hot stuff”. But lets look at just one little letter:

X

It doesn’t seem so tricky and it’s certainly not that hard to write, but those two crisscrossed lines have held much meaning for centuries.

From “sign on the X” to “X marks the spot”, ever since man sat down with a feathered plume in his hat and ink well on his desk, this little symbol has held the affection of a thousand lovers.

Kisses, there in black and white. How can these little crosses be misconstrued?

When three X’s mark the spot, it’s more than just a symbol for friendship. Think of it being along the same line as “you will pay” written in blood which is much more than a subtle warning of revenge. So the incorrect response to these X’s is something along the lines of, “I love our friendship” especially if you are the person who sent the X’s in the first place. Excuse me, but xxx is more than just the porn section in the video store!

So, if you aren’t sure of the level of affection, keep in mind that your text messages are now the love letters of the 21^st century and hold on to those X’s unless you really mean them.

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