on Phones
August 7th, 2007
I used to like phones.
I was a typical teenager.
For my 15th birthday my cake was a phone. Every time the phone rang, Julius the parrot would say, “Danielle, come!”
So WTF happened?
Nowadays, a ringing phone sends a jolt through my heart, my arhythmia kicks in, paralysis strikes, no no no…
No time to prepare.
What do they want?
Too many unknowns.
The inevitable small talk. what to say. jot it down. write a script. oh god.
Caller ID helps, but not enough.
A world without Caller ID is not worth living in.
I blame journalism.
What was I thinking?
Calling people who on principle despise me and believe me to be their natural enemy for a living?
Scarred for life, I am.
I don’t even like voice mail. Well, listening to voicemail. Such a hassle.
Just means you have to call them back.
I like leaving voicemails, though. It’s like my own little monologue performance.
I have a phone. It’s pretty cool. It’s got email and facebook and www.answers.com so I’m never without my requisite random fact.
Texting works. Email works.
I can process and respond in my own time. At my own pace. When I’M ready.
I refuse to be at the beck and call of others.
Technorati Tags: phone calls, talking, texting, Caller ID
August 7th, 2007 at 5:09 am
I can identify. I’ve fallen out of love with the phone. When I was in high school I had constant fights with my mother, who was appalled by the amount of talking I did on the phone. Now, it’s really hard for me to call people just to talk. I’d rather see them in person. Partly it’s selfish, I have little time when I get home and sometimes I sometimes I don’t feel like spending it on the phone. Partly I’m just tired. But I will call back.
August 7th, 2007 at 6:48 am
yah that’s definitely part of it. the only time i willingly call someone is on my commute home after work. after that the time is too precious.
i realised that i should add that even if i don’t answer calls i do almost always manage to call back. when i’m ready. it’s an ‘in my own time’ kind of thing.
August 7th, 2007 at 10:52 am
yah that’s definitely part of it. the only time i willingly call someone is on my commute home after work. after that the time is too precious.
Doing WHAT ?
Painting your toe nails ?
August 7th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
See. I blame work. Always. Once I started working, and using the phone was part of my job. Having to talk to people, and TAKE calls. Argh. I had programmed my first cellphone for a different ring for work calls. I still get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when the Alison’s phone rings on Medium. And I left that job in 2003.