automatic finding of matching paren in text mode, turning off

[WJL@ZERMATT.lcs.mit.edu (Bill Long)]

Anyone know how to turn off the automatic finding of matching parens in
text mode?  I have a file of notes I have been keeping for a couple of
years -- it's now about 70 blocks long.  My typical entries are of the
form:

1) blah blah

2) more stuff

3) etc

Anyway, there are now 2356 more right parens than left parens in the
file.  If I accidently land on one of them, my machine goes catatonic
for about 15 seconds looking for a matching paren.  Is there any way to
turn this feature off?

(I guess I could change the parens to periods, but I'm holding out for a
better solution for the moment.)

-Bill Long