When Talking Replaced Typing: The Quiet Death of Spelling

Spellcheck Is My Toxic Ex—And Voice Notes Are the New Red Flag🚩

🎤 Dear Literacy, We Need to Talk.

There was a time—brace yourself—when I could spell “restaurant” with no fear. No autocorrect. No Google. Just vibes and vocabulary.

Now? I type “res” and let my keyboard finish the fight.

Why? Because I don’t type anymore.

I talk. I voice note. I breathe into the mic like I’m recording an emotional EP.

And honestly? It’s giving freedom.

But also… it's giving semi-literacy.

📱 The Truth? We’re Addicted to the Mic

Voice notes are the girlies' safe space. You can cry, overshare, whisper secrets, scream into the void—and no one’s judging your spelling.

It’s raw.

It’s healing.

It’s high-key dangerous to your brain cells. 🧠⚠️

We’ve slowly replaced writing with talking. Now grammar feels like calculus, and spelling “definitely” feels like betrayal.

👀 I Know My English Teacher Is Watching From the Beyond

Sometimes, when I pause at the word “accommodation” and Google saves me for the 40th time this month, I hear her:

> “Lilo. You knew this in Grade 5.”

Yes ma’am.

But now I know how to record a 3-minute voice note that sounds like a podcast. Growth?

📉 The Slide Is Real: And It’s Not Just Me

Let’s not act brand new—this is happening to everyone. We’re a generation of expressive speakers and nervous writers. Why?

We don’t write anymore. (Tweets don’t count.)

We let Grammarly do all the thinking.

Our spelling is shaky. ("Embarrass" embarrasses us.)

Reading comprehension is weak. Voice content doesn’t stretch the brain like reading does.

Our confidence in writing? Gone. Ghosted. Left on read.

💌 But Voice Notes Aren’t the Devil

I love them. I do. They make long-distance friendships real. They add tone, emotion, breath. You can rant, pray, and spill tea with perfect delivery.

So no, this isn’t a breakup letter. It’s a boundaries talk.

Because I want both:

✨ Emotional, unfiltered voice notes

AND

✨ The power to spell “occasionally” without self-doubt.

🔁 So, Here's My Soft-Girl Literacy Plan:

📝 Tiny journal entries. Five sentences. Messy. Honest. Consistent.

📚 Read actual blogs, books, articles. Something with paragraphs. Not just memes.

🔡 Guess first, autocorrect later. Make your brain work a little.

📲 Text on purpose. Not because you have to—but because it’s a flex now.

🧠 Final Pause: Language Is a Muscle, Not a Filter

We’re not doomed. We’re just distracted. But your literacy can come back—just like edges, exes, and expired dreams. 😌

I’m not quitting voice notes. But I also don’t want to panic every time I need to write a serious email or spell “maintenance.”

So here’s your reminder:

Your old English teacher isn’t mad.

She’s just sipping tea in heaven, holding a red pen, whispering,

> “Come back to me.”

And maybe…

Just maybe…

We should.

© 2025 The Dreamer’s Pause. All rights reserved.

🚂 Britain's Royal Train Is Retiring — But Did It Ever Really Serve Us?

🚂 Britain's Royal Train Is Retiring — But Did It Ever Really Serve Us?

By The Dreamer's Pause

So apparently, after 180 years of service, the British royal train is being officially decommissioned by March 2027. According to the Royal Household’s financial report, the reason is to “secure best value for public money.”

Mmhmm... sure. 😏

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not crying over polished wood panels or claret liveries. I’m just saying — this is a major move for the Royal Family. But honestly, does it affect me? Nope. Not even close. The train has been out here living its best royal life for nearly two centuries while the rest of us are still trying to top up airtime.

👑 A Quick Trip Down Their Fancy Memory Lane

The royal train started way back in 1842, during Queen Victoria’s time. It’s been used for state visits, jubilees, and I’m pretty sure one or two quiet naps between castles. The current one — the one they’re ditching — has been running since the 1970s and includes sleeping rooms, lounges, and everything short of a built-in butler named Charles.

Even Queen Elizabeth II used it — often. So yes, if ghosts do exist, she and her ancestors are probably pacing around in their royal tombs whispering, “You’re cancelling what?!”

🚁 What’s the Replacement? Not the Metro, I’ll Tell You That

Don’t get excited thinking they’ll now join us on public trains. Nope. They’re just moving on to helicopters and scheduled trains — and not the kind with delays and someone playing loud music in coach.

They’ll still travel between England and Scotland, just without the “choo choo” nostalgia. So, if you imagined King Charles squeezing in next to someone eating chips on a commuter train — cancel the fantasy.

💸 Is This About the People, or Just the Headlines?

The official statement is that it’s to cut down on royal expenses and make better use of public funds. Fair enough. But it also sounds like a PR move. Let’s be real — there’s been growing pressure for the Royals to show they’re “modern” and “responsible,” especially during an economic crisis.

But I mean… switching from a fancy train to a helicopter isn’t exactly a broke person’s lifestyle. Just saying. 😌

🫱🏽‍🫲🏾 Meanwhile, the Rest of Us...

Honestly? The train never benefited most of us. We weren’t hopping on it to go from London to Edinburgh. We weren’t sipping royal tea in a lounge car.

So whether they retire it, repaint it, or turn it into a museum, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re still budgeting for electricity and wondering how it’s already July. 😩

🎤 Final Thought

The train may be history now, but so is our hope of ever being that pampered. If anything, this news just reminds us that royalty lives in another world — with claret-colored trains, airborne travel, and financial statements written in cursive.

Let them mourn their luxury ride. We’ve got enough to deal with down here.

References 

1. CNN. (2024, July 2). Britain's royal train will be retired after more than 180 years. CNN.

2. Furness, H. (2024, July 2). King Charles to retire Royal Train in cost-cutting move. The Telegraph.

3. BBC News. (2024, July 2). Royal train to be scrapped amid cost-saving plans. BBC News. 

4. Sky News. (2024, July 2). Royal train to be decommissioned by 2027 as King Charles cuts costs. Sky News.

© 2025 The Dreamer’s Pause. All rights reserved.