867-5309

We are not phone people. By that I mean, if possible, I will use other modes of communication before I choose a dial tone. I love email; prefer face-to-face. I never understood co-workers that called me instead of walking two short cubicle lengths to see me. I put off getting a cell phone because I feared it would be yet another reason for friends to hate me if I never answered it like a good cell phone owner should.

"You never answer your phone."

"You screen your calls, don't you?"

"I called you. You haven't called back yet." (Usually on my answering machine.)

When I try to explain my aversion to the phone, generally, that dates back to my teen years, I am misunderstood. No believes me when I say that I didn't spend the late 80s caressing a receiver. It sounds wrong. And this suspicious claim makes my phone-loving friends (you know who you are) question this personality quirk. I am gabby. I must be lying. I just must not like talking to them. See the dilemma? No winning here.

Sometimes I make friends with like-minded phone-phobes, or at least people that oblige my emailing ways. Is it weird that I email friends in town, within walking distance? Shouldn't I just pick up the you-know-what? Maybe. I pretty much save such moments for the people that will hunt me down if I refuse to pick up when they give me a jingle. Nothing like answering the phone to be yelled at. Doesn't help my affliction.

Now I give you Lexi - the reason I am making the sweeping WE are not phone-folks. Lexi never runs for the phone; she hardly knows how to answer it properly let alone how to call friends. I am looking into calling lessons with a master dialer, maybe at the middle school, because I am afraid that like it or not, one must know how to use the darn thing.

She asked me recently when she could get a cell phone. I had to laugh. A cell phone. For a 3rd grader that stumbles through leaving messages for people.

I think she'll launch a blog of own first. They are free, afterall.

And better.
*****
Try not to sing the song. I dare ya. I can't type 867 without trailing straight into 5.

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Comments

Lori said…
I must be "special", as I talk to you on the phone almost everyday...even a couple times a day...for a good length of time (as our children bother us in the background). Glad to be your little sister! :)
Anonymous said…
Stephanie hates the phone too. I can carry on a 10 minute instant message conversation with her but if I call, it is like talking to the operator.

Send Lexi over and I can have Mason learn-her-all-up on the phone calling. He loves to chat on the phone.

He too wanted a cell phone until we sat down and he figured out how much of his allowance would be going towards payment. "I have to pay EVERY month?" He opted to spend it on some Star Wars stuff.

-Stu
Anonymous said…
Funny that that song should come up, it's the current favorite in this house. I've always complained about Chris' countless 80's CDs, but I did have to dig through them the other day to find a copy of this song. Eddie recently got an I spy sort of book based on the movie Cars. On one of the pages, you have to find license plates in a room full of them. Well, one of the plates is 8675309 and after singing it several times while looking for the plate, the boys wanted to hear the real thing. It hasn't left the stereo since then.
Fearfully, I think Eddie is taking after his father in his love of the 80's because his last favorite song was "We built this city"! God help me...
OhTheJoys said…
Jeeeeeeeeeenny, I've got your number, I need to make you My-eine!

I hate talking on the phone.
I am with you on the phone aversion. I blogged about this once at http://jenniferbdavis.blogspot.com/2006/11/voice-mail-blues_20.html.

I have since found a great tool that you might like. It is called SpinVox and it converts voice mail messages to text and emails it to you. It has worked out great. Email me if you want to try it.
katydidnot said…
jeeeenny i've got your number...

i loathe the phone.

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