Phones

8/17/2012

Phones

I want you to stop for a moment and think about how you used to stay in contact with friends and family - back before computers and cell phones were invented.  Oh yes, I remember - regular mail (now referred to as snail) and the telephone.  Not the tiny phones of today; but, substantial devices that were delivered to you by the phone man!  

I can remember looking through the phone book (remember those?) and getting to pick out the colors and style of phone.  The color choices from my memory are: pink, green, blue, tan, yellow, black, white and red.   You could have a hanging phone for the kitchen, a desk phone for the den and the beloved princess phone for the bedroom.  The princess phone was a lightweight compared to other hefty other models; but, every girl (big or little) wanted one.   Back in the day, my parents never allowed us children to have a phone in our bedroom - but oh how I wanted that pretty and feminine phone. Perhaps part of the lure was the name itself "Princess".  I don't know what else they could have called it because Queen, Lady or Duchess just doesn't sound half as good.   Part of the anticipation of a move was the selection of new phones and the visit from the phone man.  He brought the phone, installed it, made sure everything was working properly and left.  He was nearly a hero.

Flash forward to the present.  Phone man?  Not like before.  Want or need a phone?  Go to a store and buy your own - any kind and any size. Service?  That's not like before either.  How many times have you seen a phone company truck parked in someones driveway recently?  Um I'm betting none.  

With the advent of cell phones I know people - lots of them actually - we don't own what we now refer to as a "land line".  So in times of emergency they can get in a peck of trouble if they can't keep their cell phone charged, which is pretty hard to do without electricity.  I don't believe I'll see the day when Jeff and I exist only with our cell phones.  

The other perhaps negative benefit of a cell phone is the 24/7 availability everybody has with each other.  We have always had a 10/10 rule in our house for making and receiving calls - not before 10:00 in the morning or after 10:00 in the evening.  The boys knew this growing up and made sure their friends were made aware.  To this day any call that arrives before or after 10:00, makes me panic just a little.  Most people don't call to socialize early in the morning or late in the evening - so that leaves emergencies.  

People carry their cell phones around with them pretty much 24/7 and you can hear the sounds of incoming email,  games you play or even an actual call.  To be honest I don't even know what my cell phone number is - my family knows not to call me - I won't recognize it as a phone call and if I did - likely wouldn't remember how to answer.  Nope, I bought the phone for the other stuff, the calendar, notes, remotely see my emails (because I'm so important that I can't wait until I get home each evening to see them) and the ability to play a game or two, Word with Friends specifically.

Luckily, I have Bluetooth in my car so if I needed to make a call (not likely) I merely talk into my steering wheel and keep driving.  No one hand on the wheel and the other on a minute phone stuck to my ear.  For the sake of the world, it's best that I have BOTH hands available particularly for turning!  I've tried a one hand turn before, not too good.

Please take a moment today and reflect on the "improvements" technology has made and how much better off we are now than say back in the 60's.

Middle age is when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you.  Ogden Nash

Have a great Friday.  P