Me: Yes, I hear it.
Grandson: Aren’t you going to answer it?
Me: Nope.
Grandson: Why not?
Me: Cause if they have something say to me, they can leave me a message.
Grandson: I can answer it for you.
Me: Nope, that’s okay.
Grandson: (Looking very troubled that no one was picking up the phone.) But what if they don’t leave a message?
Me: Well, I guess it wasn’t important, was it?
This exchange with my grandson reminds me of the old story of the Maine storekeeper who was the last one in town to get one of those newfangled telephones. When a long-time friend and customer heard it ringing, and the storekeeper continued their conversation, the customer finally asked if the storekeeper was going to answer it. The reply: "I put it in for my convenience, not theirs."
Hmmm. I am so not alone in the world!
It is a well known fact in my family that I won’t answer the phone. House phone or cell phone, I let them ring their way to voice mail. I figure, if they have something to tell me, they can leave me a message. No need for me to interrupt what I’m doing at the moment. I’ll call back ... eventually.
You might say I have some sort of phone aversion.
When my kids call, I let it go to voice mail. And unfortunately, sometimes it can take me days to call back. I forget. Bad me.
Needless to say, that makes me very unpopular with them.
My friends primarily don’t phone. They just email. Or send me postcards.
I really like postcards.
But there is one person whose calls I DO take. And that is The Professor’s.
I kind of want to stay in his good graces.
He leaves me little love notes.
He brings me coffee in the morning.
And fixes my grapefruit.
And rubs my feet.
And takes all those calls that I won’t.
So there will be no sending him to voice mail.
Because he may just stop taking MY calls.
And then where would I be?
All alone in the world.
Singing to him like When Harry Met Sally
"Call me, don't be afraid, you can call me,
Maybe it's late but just call me -
Tell me and I'll be around."
So not me!
Especially on the phone! Aack!
missing the mom gene (and missing the phone talking gene)
