It was my nephew Paul’s birthday last Sunday. As the post is not delivered on Sundays I sent him a ‘happy birthday message’. Quick, simple, cheap and instant. He knew that his uncle was thinking of him on his special day. I did try and call him but it went to voicemail.

My sister has been in hospital this last week. She has been too ill to go and see and we have communicated via text. No bugs to pass on to her –just hygienic get well messages and chit chat. I even sent her virtual grapes!

Hang on a sec; I have just received a message. My team has just scored to go 3-1 up with ten minutes to go. Deep joy.

That reminds me. I need to send a text to my son asking him to call me. I want to try and fix up a game of golf with him as I haven’t seen him much since Christmas.

I send most of text messages early in the morning. This ensures a steady stream of ‘beep – beep’ noises on my mobile when sitting at my work desk. I don’t immediately open them. Don’t want the boss to think I am not 100% concentrating on my work. I open them in the quiet times. Most of the messages make me smile. Especially ones from my partner.

When I was younger I used to love receiving letters addressed to me. Now, I get that same buzz every time I hear that ‘beep’ sound. Frankly, I marvel at the technology that enables us to send a message through the air, not connected to anything and is instant. Clever people these technology chaps. They deserve the vast profits we generate for them. It has revolutionised communication for all of us. A thoroughly good invention. Or is it?

All our messages are stored. By the companies that we pay to use the service. And our messages can be tracked. This means we can be tracked. The police (and criminals) can track our messages. If we have nothing to hide, surely it does not matter? It may matter if we are wrongly accused of a crime we did not commit but we can placed at the crime scene by where our mobile was used. Criminals may be able to intercept our messages and track when we are going out, or on holiday, in order to burgle us.

By and large I have no issue with my messages being stored and even read by others. I am law abiding and have nothing to hide. All I would really worry about was if criminals could read my messages the second they are sent. They can’t can they?

So, like millions of others I will text like crazy. Good luck to the criminals. All they will be able to find out about me is the team I support, how much my partner makes me laugh, and what I want for tea some nights.

The joy of text – long may it continue – beep-beep.