10 May 2008

#110 -- Telephone

a call

6 a.m. – wrong number
dreamer gets another chance
8:30 a.m. - reminder
don’t forget the dentist tomorrow
10:15 a.m. – special order in
must be picked up before Thursday
10:45 a.m. – telemarketer
bother
11:55 a.m. – close friend ill
put on the prayer list, yes
12:15 p.m. – forgot my lunch
drop it off to you
2 p.m. – good news
mother and baby doing fine
2:15 p.m. – telemarketer
more nuisance
3:45 p.m. – called to say hi
so thoughtful, so chatty
5:30 p.m. – telemarketer
blast! – ought to be a law – isn’t there?
7:20 p.m. – dinner Saturday
what to wear
11:20 p.m. – called to say i love you
wish he were here
3:15 a.m. – can’t be
we just spoke around 11 – how did it happen
dreamer loses


the telephone --- an innocuous piece of plastic electronically driven to make your day, needlessly interrupt it, keep you connected and up to date, and in some cases shatter your life beyond repair --- oft times makes you tempted to shoot the messenger when you’ve given in to the invitation of its seemingly harmless and sometimes bothersome ring --- you can exercise a pinch of control with caller i.d. to screen the who of it, but the why of it is never known until a message is retrieved or the deed is done and the call is answered --- where was the line crossed that took it from luxury to necessity to nuisance and the whole spectrum of labels in between i wonder? --- the change must have been subtle and delicate, a covert event that took its very own time in unfolding, until suddenly, KAWHAMMMM!!! – here we are at the beck and call (no pun intended) of gadgetry, because there seems to be no way out of it now --- where did the real people go, and how come the only ones left seem to be literally unable to even eat a meal, sip a coffee, or use the facilities without being on the phone at the same time? – happened in the very next cubicle to me, made me feel the whole world was in that rest room! – i miss the more personal style of face to face dialogue, seeing the special smiles as i share a silly moment, watching the glint of a pair of lively eyes as i speak, spotting the unspoken question or potential misunderstanding as it may be forming – the world is a busy spot, for sure, with folks bemoaning their lack of free time and relaxation, grumbling about the tax on their privacy, but each of us has to make and enforce our own boundaries, and keep our personal power intact – PERSONALLY! --- for me the phone is a necessity, true enough, but nothing more, and to give it more import than that in the scheme of my life would be folly for me --- it will never measure up as a substitute or replacement for that personal stamp each of us puts on our communication with others --- memories are made and treasures of them put aside to take out and savor at another time when you are blessed with good conversations and even better friends!!!

6 comments:

Granny Smith said...

In some ways telephones are a reflection of our lives, and our lives are busy and varied. I loved the list. I, too, much prefer seeing a person face to face while conversing.

Good post.

MissGuided said...

Hi Danni
I realise that at times telephones are a necessity. My friends and family all live overseas so I do rely on it for contact with them. My irrational fear comes when certain people call ....my distorted mind tells me they purposely call because they know I hate it (and the calls aren't even for me!!!)
Anyway, I enjoyed your post too and am appreciative of the time you took to read mine
Sharon

GreenishLady said...

This was a great post - the list was very real, it seemed.

Here, we have a system (I discovered it after years of growing frustration and annoyance with telemarketers) of opting out of the database used by them. It's an offence for them to call anyone who has opted out. My life is so much calmer since I discovered that. Check with your phone company, or the communications regulator. Details were in small print on my phone bill. - of course phone companies don't want to discourage calls, so they don't want to advertise it.

Sorry - long-winded, but thought you might like to look into that.

Devil Mood said...

This is excellent Danni :)
It's amazing how phones can be so annoying but also so useful and sometimes bringing endearing moments...

Maree Jones said...

Yes, I agree. Damn phones are everywhere - keeping us connected but keeping us apart at the same time. Loved the beginning poem. :)

Robin said...

I love the way you said so much so concisely. Nice job.