My Blah Blah Blog

Dragon Dictation is my new best friend.

I have two daughters away at college, and our main method of communication is texting. But I admit to being text-challenged; I find it hard to type on my iPhone. So I often feel like a clod-fingered oldster, requiring ten minutes to respond to urgent questions like, “Can I wash the red underpants with the white?” Before I can painstakingly tap out a response, I often get an impatient prompt: “Mom?”

Recently, my friend Michael (also an oafish texter) told me about a free application called Dragon Dictation. The Dragon allows you to dictate messages, which appear immediately as text on your phone screen, where you can correct them if need be and then send them off (as text messages or email). It could not be easier (unless maybe a kid would simply answer her phone for a big fat change).

Now when my daughters text me, instead of tapping a simple “yes,” in seconds I come back with, “Well, if you’ve washed the red several times before they will most likely be fine mixed with the white. If, however they are brand new…oh, was that the Victoria’s Secret thing on your credit card bill? And oh, you left your pink sweatpants here….shall I send thgem? Did you get the brownies? Did you see the last episode of “Modern Family”? When are you having lunch with Aunt Sue?” And so on.

Dragon Dictation, may be my new best friend. It may be my daughters’ new nemesis.