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| Yours truly, circa 1971, ONE PHONE |
Once upon a time, in a saner world, we actually had ONE telephone ~ at home ~ and that sufficed very well. Also worked fine for me as an adult. I can wait for the message, I don't need it delivered a millisecond after it happens.
The proliferation of means of communication these days is now reaching the horror zone. I can't even begin to list all the new technology that has turned us into telephone/internet junkies, zombies, and one majorly rude society.
If I call someone and they initially tell me they have the time to speak, then that's it ~ it's official, right? Oh, but now there is an inherently evil thing known as 'Call Waiting' and that instantly changes the rules. First you have to wait to see who it is. Then you have to wonder if Caller #2 knocks you off the line. Then you have to hear "I'll call you right back!" But they never do!
And that, to me, is as insulting as being at a party and the person with whom you are chatting spots someone else and leaves you flat, mouth open (more in shock over how inconsiderate that is, than mid-sentence) and feeling disrespected and dismissed. Huh? What'd I do? Am I boring you? Does that other person have a better story? WTF?
One old (dingbat) neighborhood 'friend' actually had the audacity to keep me on HOLD for close to 5 minutes...until I slammed down the phone in disgust. When she called back to ask what happened, I had to explain to her the meaning of etiquette, telephone-style.
Not for me, thank you very much. If I don't command the same respect accorded to you, then this becomes an e-mail only friendship. With the exception of extreme emergency calls from immediate family members, there is absolutely no reason to cavalierly blow anyone off...for someone else.
It's called priorities. And good manners. Yet another casualty of technology...perhaps the saddest one of all.
