March of the Tools 7.
I think I may be the last person I know who does not have a cell phone. But, then, I don't want one so that's good news. I like my old rotary phone, though I do wish it were black and a bit heavier. I like that it is simple; it doesn't break. I don't have to program it and I don't have to worry about accidentally dropping it in the toilet. It sits next to my computer on my desk. I don't really like to spend a lot of time on the phone. I hesitate to have phone time bleeding over into other things that I like and want to do.
I remember my mom using a pen to dial the rotary phone that we had when I was growing up. If the conversation was very long, she would sit on the stairs behind the wall where our phone was kept. We had a heavy black phone that would not budge even if the receiver cord was stretched across the room. My sisters and I had the job of reserving a raquetball court for our father each week. The lines at the local university gym would open at 7:00 in the morning and we would have to call continually to get through to get a court. There was no redial and, of course, we would have to wait for the dial to tick back to its starting position after each number. I still like that sound; it gives me time to gather my thoughts as I dial. We were also forced to remember phone numbers. I still remember numbers of my childhood friends, even some of my sisters' friends. It is interesting how times and technology have changed though.
How strange the first phone conversations must have been and how very special it must have been to keep in touch with far away family. Instantaneous and vocal connection to distant loved ones was not possible before. The reasons for phone use have changed a lot over the years and I am not sure they are all good. I like to keep my phone conversations close to the purpose of keeping in touch with far away friends and family. For friends and family who live close, I would rather arrange for a time to meet in person and have a visual connection while talking.
Sometimes, I have business for which I need to call. I call and rarely get a human ("Press one, two, three, four..."). Most of these prerecorded or computer generated messages used to end with "If you are not calling from a touch tone phone, please stay on the line..." They don't anymore. They just hang up on you in a very impersonal way. Sad, don't you think? I have learned to make business calls from the kitchen on our other phone which is a touch tone and also has an answering machine in it.
A cell phone could make some situations easier, but I am not sure that easy is what I want. My oldest son and his father recently attended a scholarship awards dinner an hour and a half away. I was eager to hear news of the outcome, but, it was also fun to wait and wonder (even if they didn't get home until midnight). Cell phones would allow me to communicate with my teens to coordinate after school activities, but, I like that we make a plan in the morning and stick with it. I think it is important for them to think about their plans and how they fit in with the rest of the family. If phone use were easier, I would probably use it more. I might take it with me. I might talk on my cell phone at the park instead of playing with my daughter or meeting other parents.
I like that my rotary phone makes me think about my telephone time.
