Daily Prompt: Call Me, Maybe

Describe your relationship with your phone. Is it your lifeline, a buzzing nuisance, or something in between?

For me the phone falls in the middle, it\s a lifeline sometimes, it could be a buzzing nuisance at others, and sometimes it’s a pleasure to talk with the person on the other end of the call. Notice I don’t say the other end of the line, as even though I’m in my 50s, I haven’t had a home phone now for a few years. I helped pioneer the idea of having my cell phone, as my home phone, and I thank Fido for the willingness to pioneer the concept back when they introduced their unlimited local plan, fittingly called City Fido. So I had to learn how to manage my phone, as it’s a tool, it can’t be allowed to become the master. Just as fire is a useful tool, to keep us war, cook our food, and even dry us out, let it out of control and it can be a destroyer of lives.

So how do I keep my wireless pone on a short leash? I developed a small set of rules I use to give myself quiet time.

1. I use different ringtones for work, friends, family and all the other calls. Regardless of how I feel about work, I never use part of the country and western song written by Davis Allen Cole and sung by Johnny Paycheck. Somehow I don’t think hearing “Take this Job & Shove it” will endear you to your boss, or co-workers.

2. If you are spending quality time with your significant other, show them they really are the most important person n the world, and turn the phone to mute for those few hours. Guys trust me, the lady in your life will be appreciative, and ladies the guys are too. Nothing ruins a romantic moment faster than, having the phone ring, and a 20 minute conversation about something that could have waited.

3. In places such as restaurants, and theatres I use the no ring/vibrate option, and if it’s a call I have to take I walk out to the lobby. I have seen someone wear a large pop for yakking in the theatre. I personally wouldn’t do that, after all have you seen what they want for the soft drinks in theatres these days?

4. On holidays I use a VoIP app, which only a few people have the number to, thus eliminating most calls that would intrude on my relaxation. Considering that my relation might be a beach, bike tour, skiing, or camping, I don’t want to hear about that new project till I am back to work.

So yes, I still get those annoying calls, offering me a great deal on something I have no interest in purchasing, but they last less than a minute, and never intrude on important things. But the phone doesn’t run my schedule, it plays by my rules, so it is very seldom an annoyance.

 

 

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