Do you remember the days when every phone call was from someone you knew or was for a family member but you still knew them? Now its gotten to the point where not even half the calls are ones you want to hear from.
I’m no longer even polite with all the strangers that call. If someone doesn’t answer hello in about a second, maybe two, I hang up. If it is a recording I hang up. If it’s a survey, I hang up.
Now you might say you’re not using your technology. Well I don’t sit in front of my TV to see who is calling on caller ID, when I am I manage it that way. Some of my phones are old and don’t have a display of who is calling. I don’t always have my reading glasses handy to even see it even if I do have a display of caller ID.
So in the hopes of not missing a call from someone important to me I answer it a lot just walking but it ringing. I used to get mad along the way for a number of years in dealing with this. I used to mess with telemarketers. I used to be kind and respectful of people trying to help worthwhile groups like fire and police. Also organizations like Red Cross and Cancer Societies. That was till they developed the pestering and laying the guilt trip or maybe not taking “no I’m sorry I can’t help at this time” for an answer.
You might ask why I even have a land line and basically it’s what I grew up with. Yes I’ve had a cell/smart phone for ages. But the number of older people who still only can remember that one old number who still use it are important to us. So we will have it for a bit longer.
Now with number spoofing you really never know who is calling. Yeah you can block numbers but what the hell, that isn’t what I want to spend my day doing.
And in my work I get calls from people who aren’t in my directory even on my cell phone and now with the number of spam calls coming on that its starting to feel like my land line. I’m imagining there are services or apps now to help surf this madness of people abusing the devices for Cons, Marketing, Surveys and whatever else you can imagine.
But back to my original thought, the phone has become such an abused item by people who have only their interest at heart versus someone who you know who is calling you to see how you are and your best interest, not their own.
I know a number of people who have given up their land line. Might be on my agenda someday in the future. But there is at least one important reason I like keeping it. When the children do call and both my wife and I pick up a line at the same time from different areas of the house and express our joy at hearing their voices, I think it makes them happy.
Just like it does when our parents call us and they both are on the line at the same time to just say hello or happy birthday or happy anniversary or what time are we coming over. I hope this isn’t lost forever on the next generation but I fear it will be.
Goodbye 80’s. No not in the 1980’s. But in the 80 degree temps. This is actually quiet depressing to me. I don’t deal with the cold temperatures and winter weather very well. My body certainly doesn’t like it. My mind is totally against it. Visually I have trouble finding the beauty in it.
The beach will still be there but its different with no people on it.
Photo by Mike Hartley
Last year I tried to adapt, I wasn’t too successful. I guess I’ll give it another go this year. But be prepared for cursing along the way.
Random Thoughts of the Day
How can one see the images of the storm devastation and not be moved to help. Think I’ll make a Red Cross donation after this post.
West Wing Weirdness
Tragedy brings people together.
Comedy brings people together and enlightens their understanding of differences and likes.
Did you ever have a pain that takes your breath away?
Was today the last day for the A/C to run here in Maryland in 2018?
