Pages

Thursday, March 24, 2011

To call or not to call?

I
"I remember when I was growing up the rule was, don't call anyone after 10 p.m.
 now the rule, is don't call anyone ...EVER"
Jonathan Adler
This quote make me laugh out loud when I read it in Sunday's Style Section of the New York Times. It's taken from an article appropriately titled,  "Don't Call Me, I Won't Call You."
The gist of the story is that modern forms of communication like emailing and texting have taken over in popularity versus the good-old fashioned telephone call.
 Ring...Ring...
has been substituted with,
You've Got Mail...
The article goes on to say that actually answering a cell phone is rather annoying, too - it's like who wants to run to find the phone and what if you are scrolling or composing an email?
So I go to thinking?
How much do I use the phone?

Nothing like I used to - my ear used to hurt from all the chit chatting I did!
Now,  it's easy to send a quick email or text, and I don't feel like I am interrupting anyone. People are so busy these days.
According to the article,  rather than a phone call from a friend or co-worker,  people are much more prone to email or text first, then follow through with a phone call, that is, only if necessary.
Using the telephone is left for emergencies, talking to your parents,
telemarketing sales people and school nurses. Some people have given up their land lines all together!

that's me with the pigtails, circa 1979
"are you off the phone yet, mommy?"

remember the long phone cords from the 1970s? They were great for jump rope or wrapping yourself up in!

So tell me, do you spend a lot of time "talking" on the phone?
Do you still have a land line in your home?
Do you still call your friends and family
or do you correspond via text or email?

I think I am going to give a good friend a call today!
have a good one!
See you tomorrow for Paint Party Friday!

19 comments:

Betsy Brock said...

Oh Heather! This is soooo cute and funny and TRUE! I remember my mother's extra long cord on the phone in the kitchen!

And I agree I would much rather receive a text or email and deal with it on my own time.

People don't even like voice mail because it's a pain to dial into and listen...just text me! HA.

Marlene said...

Fun post, I still have a land line as I live in the country and cell phone connection is not always easy. I hate texting but love my email. I keep in contact with friends and family in other states way more with email than I ever would have before it was available.

Crystal said...

I have never been a phone person. I just don't like to be stuck sitting and listening to a long conversation. There are always too many things to do and talking on the phone gets nothing done. So I guess I am a big user of text messaging. It's short, sweet and then you can move on to other business. :-)

Crystal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Krista said...

And remember when you had to let the receiver dangle and spin to untangle that long cord!? :)

This is so cute! I have never been a phone talker, but these days the phones are so thin there is no way to talk and cradle the phone on your shoulder and still multi-task-- it just slips out! I suppose I could get an earpiece, but haven't yet. E-mail is easier.

Brian Miller said...

ha cute pic with the little wrapped in the cord...i dunno there are a few i love to talk to on the phone, but most i would rather not, i text a whole lot more these days...

Rebecca Anthony said...

Hi Heather, Too cute and so true to life! Love your little pig tails(O: I am so bad about picking up the phone now, I do still have my land line but only because I want my girls to be able to dial 911 if they needed to. I am into texting and I love my email. Have an awesome day!!!

maddyrose said...

I gave up my land line some years back and don't miss the telemarketers one little bit. :-D There are still some friends and family, like my 90 year old friend in Florida who doesn't have a computer, that I talk to on the phone but prefer to use email to keep in touch. I love your drawing.

Deanna said...

Love the sketch! I so remember the mile long phone cords that for some reason, at some point just weren't long enough.

I work as an answering service operator so when I'm not working, I avoid the phone at all costs. I do not own a landline, I rarely ever call anyone and most know that I prefer texting. I've even talked my mom into adding a text plan to her cell phone package. :)

Jenn Bower said...

Oh, I love this illo and topic. First the illo. I love the colors and the moment captured. The distraction, multi-tasking, cord wrapping are all perfect in telling the story. I love the mod textile details on the oven.

Second, the topic. So true. I only call if it is life altering info or too long and convoluted to place in text or email. My BFF's have all been calling of late to tell me about their pending separations...like I said BIG LIFE stuff that really needs an ear.

Heather B. said...

Great post, Heather. I RARELY call anyone. We still have a land line mainly for my son. And he isn't a real big phone talker...not like my daughter was. I prefer texting. It's just more convenient! :)

Heather B. said...

Forgot to mention...I totally remember the long phone cords. They were great for jumping over and getting tangled in and stretching into the bathroom when you wanted some privacy to talk. I do miss the rotary dial phones. They were pretty awesome!

Tammie Lee said...

Times really have changed and so fast!! Cute drawing that supports these thoughts.

i am a land line gal
mobiles hurt my head so I use them as little as possible, plus I don't like being on the phone when I am out and about.

Janet Dibbydabby.com.au said...

Hi Heather this is definitely true. We tend to call screen a bit these days because we just don’t have the time to take calls anymore. Especially when you have friends who are "long talkers". I love the speed and immediacy of my iPhone but I feel sad too because i love to have that human to human contact sometimes as opposed to machine to machine. I still use my land line phone a fair bit but not nearly as much as i used to and to be honest I don’t feel as connected as i used to either.

Michelle said...

I hate the phone! I say email and txt is WAY better and faster and easier. :)

michele said...

So sweetly nostalgic!
As much as we rely on our modern conveniences such as texting and email, it's still nice to be able to make the time to converse! :o)

Andrea said...

What a great post Heather...
LOVE the illustrations of course...

I gave up my cell phone about 2 years ago and had a land line put in. I was worried about the health implications of cell usage and I didn't like being available all the time...I have never missed it until this week oddly enough. I am spending time with someone new and I am afraid to call too much but would easily text him if it was available...LOL. He only has a cell and uses texting to communicate with his friends...Another rule to add to the dating rules...
Interesting time we live in.
xo

Anonymous said...

What a great illustration and how very true your post is! I laughed as i read it as i rarely ring anyone anymore-it is so much easier to facebook or tweet and yes tje only folk i do ring are my psrents. Our land line is never used-we only have it because you have to for internet access! A sign of the times.

Unknown said...

Love this Heather, I remember my Nan and Grandad having a party line... the telephone line and number was shared between two houses... my old Head Master at Primary school was Mr Bell younger his father was the Mr Bell inventor of the telephone.... I remember hiding in my Mum Dad's bedroom chatting to my friends for hours... listening out to see if my sister was creeping up the stairs to listen in... and then Mum yelling, get off the phone.... I use Skype to talk to my sister in Oz and my friends in the Uk.... don't have a landline....