Friday, March 28, 2008

Ding-a-ling

First we pause for some important news! Daffodil is released today from Ellora's Cave! Yay, it's finally here. Trot right over there and get your own copy!

And now we return to our regularly scheduled program!

I had a doctor's appointment today. No nothing critical. When you get to be my age, you're on maintenance doses of every medication known to man. And when the prescription runs out, you have to pull up your socks, put on your big girl panties, and go off to the doctor so you can be weighed... and stuff.

One of the pre-doctor rituals is the shower, etc. So I was in the shower, trying to hurry through all the feminine rituals and I heard the phone ringing. No, I didn't rush to answer it. But it was very disturbing to me until I was able to get to the phone to check the caller ID. Now why is that?

I calculated that I receive five phone calls per day. Four of them are bill collectors trying to find people that don't live here, have never lived here, and have never had this telephone number. The other call is either my house hunk or my neighbor. So at five phone calls per day for three hundred sixty five days in a year, that's eighteen hundred twenty five phone calls per year. None of them were emergencies.

So why do I feel like I must rush to the phone to answer it? Hmmm. I think it might go back to unrealistic expectations at work. My last job had a very high call rate. There were days that I had over three hundred phone calls. And I believe that there is some residual effect from that. Phone rings? Pick it up!

I seldom answer my phone and when I do, it's only if I recognize the number on the caller ID. Once Amarinda called me from Australia and it's a good thing that she e-mailed me first. Her e-mail? "Answer the phone!" Heh-heh. Yeah, it's a very good thing that she e-mailed me. Since I have an aversion to answering the phone overall, I fail to understand the whole cell phone phenomena. Why on earth would you want to take a phone with you when you leave home?

Okay-okay. If you have children, I understand that. But really, I raised four children without a cell phone. Actually, I bought my first cell phone (prepaid model) four years ago. I use it so seldom that I have something like $150 credit on it. It rides in my purse and I turn it on if I get a flat. Haven't had a flat in five years. The other time I use it is when I travel out of state to see one of my children. I use it to let them know when we are nearly there.

So, here's my question... who the hell are all these people talking to? And why do they need to talk to that person while they're in a public restroom? Or a restaurant? Or while they're driving?

Am I the only one that finds this a really strange quirk in our society? Have we lost our collective minds such that doctor's offices have to put signs in their windows asking their patients to turn off their cell phones? Some restaurants are beginning to do the same thing.

Imagine if you will. You're in church. The pastor is preaching for all he's worth, leading up to his climatic point in his sermon. And then a cell phone tootles out 76 Trombones. Uh, it's a bit disconcerting to say the least.

Ah, I'll get down off my soapbox. It just seems to me that we have collectively fallen into a trap of our own making. Tell me truthfully. Do you want your boss to be able to reach you 24/7? Do you really need to know that your daughter's boyfriend called? Do you really want to talk to that bill collector? I vote for a move to turn off that silly cell phone unless you're all alone in the desert. Maybe then, you might want to hear a sound other than the wind.

Anny

Since I spent my afternoon at the doc's office and my evening at a chat, I have nooooo idea what my fellow cohorts are up to. However, I recommend checking out their blogs so you can find out! OhGetAGrip, Amarinda, and Kelly. Blessings on your day

11 comments:

  1. You have to get the phone because it might just be Ed McMahon calling to say YOU'VE JUST WON A MILLION DOLLARS!!!

    Oh wait - he usually comes to the door, right?

    I know what you mean. I had the same addiction to checking my mailbox back when I lived in the US and still had home delivery. There was rarely anything of interest in the mail but each day felt like a new chance for something great to arrive.

    As for cell phones. We finally got one six years ago when I was pregnant with #2. I don't normally have long conversations on it, and I turn it off at night, but man, am I addicted to text messages. Not surprising really since I'm addicted to my email and text messages are an extension of that.

    If I ever get a Blackberry I'm sunk...

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  2. Yes - but you forgot I rang a minute before that and your house hunk hung up on me - hence the email. I have a mobile (cell) phone. I use it for emergencies and vital text messages (gossip) from Ethel and Katie...got to have your priorities right

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  3. Bugger...forgot to give a big whoo hoo on the release...off to buy it

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  4. Happy Release Day!!!

    What I don't understand about cell phones is why people need them to ring at all. Leave them on if they're really that important to you but most stored somewhere on the body. Vibrate people!

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  5. Congrats on your new release!!!!!

    As for phones...I usually let the machine pick up. My family knows that we screen. We get about 3 calls a day from telemarketers and it gets tiresome to keep saying no all day. LOL

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  6. Caller ID: One of the best inventions on the planet. I used to get annoying phone calls from an aquaintance who alwayes bitched about her lovelife. Finally we got voice mail and started screening. Now we have a rule we don't answer the phone during dinner. It never fails my daughter's friend will call at the exact time we begin! We check the ID and if it's here, we let it ring. If it's a relative, we pick up; non-emergency, we'll politely as to call back.

    Cell Phones: Very valuable when I was the concession manager! And now, my hubby's prepaid is valuable when he's away; it's cheaper than calling home collect. And I like having one when I'm traveling; case in point, last April when my car broke down en route to the conference, and again last December, even though I was only a half-mile from home. I hope to have one in the coming weeks during my 'tour'.

    Happy release day, Anny:) Can hardly wait to read this, so I can finish the last line of that second limerick!

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  7. Yay!!! I'm with you. I hate over cellphone usage. I have one. It's a prepaid we use for coordinating our efforts if we are at opposite ends of the city and have to pick up a kid, or if I blow a tire. I usually forget to recharge it cause I don't remember I have it often enough. And Scott never has his on his person so more often than not, trying to reach him is a shot in the dark.

    Congrats on the release lady. And here's to the hottest cover yet!

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  8. Congrats on your release. I'm off to buy it right away,
    Cell phone I can live with. I turned mine off and turn it on only when I get lost, have a flat tire or when I'm late which is the norm.
    Now doctors are a sore subject for me these days. I have seen too many of them and their negligent staff who fax wrong record and get arrogant when you dare being upset.

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  9. Congrats on the new release!!

    I rarely answer the phone and I don't have an answering machine. I do however have a cell phone. The only people who have the number are those I WANT to talk to. No one's allowed to give out the number either. And yes, I talk on it a lot. I have a ton of minutes on my plan and actually use my cell more than my other phone (which I may get rid of soon). But I'm smart enough to turn it off when I go to church and the doctor and other such places. That little piece of equipment has certainly saved me a lot of gas and time too. I can call on the spot and take care of business that might otherwise have me criss-crossing town. My husband can call me and tell me he just used the last of the milk while I was at the store or that he's just discovered one of the kids needs glue for a project. I agree that cells should be used responsibly, but it's actually essential equipment for me.

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  10. I'm with you. Cell phones drive me nuts. I bought a prepaid following an auto breakdown and have spoken a total of 6 minutes on it in 18 months. I forget to turn it on but I know I have it just in case. When I'm driving I don't especially want to talk to anyone about anything. Maybe that's why I went out to begin with.

    Congrats on the new release. I've already got mine.

    Jane

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  11. Great chat tonight, Anny:) And darn it...my list hit the #60 mark tonight...

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