GRWM

I remember the first time I typed “BTW” in a text message rather than typing it out in the proper English language as “by the way.” It was last month, BTW. And it still feels weird. As someone who types out text messages using mostly full sentences, and punctuation, with one thumb instead of two, and proofreads before hitting the send button, I am the sort of person who has to use Google to translate many an acronym. 

Therefore, it came as no surprise that I had to consult my trusty pal when I began seeing reels on Instagram a few months ago using the hashtag, “GRWM.”

According to the Google, this “get ready with me” phenomenon has actually been around for more than a decade now and is used to share video footage of someone, anyone, getting ready for their day, or an event, or bed, or yoga class, or a root canal. The possibilities are endless, really.

Now, I’m used to being late to the party when it comes to the shorthand of today. I’m sure I cause some SMH on a regular basis. I learned that one last year. In fact, you might very well be shaking your head as you read this. So, you can imagine my shock when I recently discovered that we are all late to the party. By a few centuries. 

In the past couple of weeks, I have visited several castles in England and Scotland. My tours of such historically rich and magnificent places as Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, and Holyrood Palace taught me much. Among the many discoveries my enlightened brain absorbed, was the fact that these people were big fans of GRWM. Before social media, before electricity, before the colonization of these here United States of America, people enjoyed watching the king get ready for bed. Spectators stood in line for a spot in the royal dining room to watch him eat dinner. Enthralled with every detail, from the variety of foods served to the china selected to the jammies and fuzzy slippers donned, humans are curious creatures. We want to see and to share. And we find creative ways to do it. 

The incredible United Kingdom taught me more than my geriatric millennial brain can hold, but this may be at the top of the history lessons learned: Social media has been around long before the invention of cell phones, folks. 

It just goes to show you that there really is NNUTS. 

For those who need the translation, that’s “nothing new under the sun.” I made that one up, BTW.

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