Monday, March 11, 2013

Monday Memories – Hello, Hello


When Cali was a little person she called the telephone a “hello, hello.”

When I was a little person . . .
  • Our phone number was 655-4266 and my best friend’s number was only one digit different. I had dozens of phone numbers memorized. 
  • We were on a party line with our neighbors so we had to pick up the receiver carefully when we used the phone in case someone was already talking. 
  • We only had to use the last four digits of a local number to place a call. 
  • We had a rotary dial phone and later a push button. 
  • The kitchen phone had an extended 15-ish foot cord so that while we talked we could sit on a couch or go in a bedroom, shut the door, and talk in private (assuming no one was listening in on the party line). 
  • Long distance phone calls were 30 cents a minute. We didn’t call long distance often. 
  • The Jetson’s had futuristic, fantasy screens they talked into and saw and heard people talking back to them, but that only happened in cartoons to people that traveled in space ships with robot maids. 

Now that I’m a big person . . .

  • I only have three phone numbers memorized. If I get thrown in jail I’ll be in big trouble when it comes time to place my one and only phone call if Calvin doesn’t answer.  Speed dial has stupefied me. 
  • I have a phone with my own number as does Calvin and every single one of our family members. I can talk whenever I want without waiting for someone else to hang up. Phones today even interrupt and tell me when someone else is trying to call. 
  • I touch a screen and the phone dials the number for me. 
  • I can write messages, take pictures, play music, record videos, pull down maps, surf the internet, and read books on a phone. 
  • There is no cord and I can answer a phone in the middle of the living room floor or the middle of a field. 
  • There is one flat fee for all of my phone calls. I call long distance a lot. 
  • The phone has a fantastic screen you talk into and see people talking as they talk back, but there is no robot maid in the background.  

Today I got my first iphone. You and everyone else in the family has had one for years and today I finally joined you.  Good bye sweaty ear and kinked neck, hello bedazzled phone cover and facetime.



(I couldn’t believe what I saw! Abe was in a beret and captain’s uniform, Afton had grown a foot or two and was walking all around the furniture, Ande’s baby belly had stretched another inch. Amazing.) 


Do you still remember your original phone number? Would you be in trouble if kidnappers nabbed you and you could only sneak away long enough for one call?

8 comments:

Ande said...

Horray! I'm so glad you finally got a new phone! You are going to love it. Now if only I didn't look like such a goof.

Donna Chapin said...

Oh Jane,
I appreciate your memories about long phone cords, and party lines, and dialing just the last 4 numbers of the phone number because I share those same memories. One of our neighbors had little patience with sharing the phone, and would yell at us to get off the phone but it was in Dutch. We didn't understand him, but got the message. Later I found out he was swearing at us.
Our phone plan is almost up for renewal, and that means we can get new phones. Now a decision has to be made if I am going with the IPhone. It does have some very nice features. You will have to let me know how user friendly it is.

Deidra said...

Hooray for FaceTime! It's our very favorite thing (and still amazes me).

It took me almost a full year of marriage before I memorized Chris's number. I still have several numbers memorized, but I'd be in trouble in an emergency, since those people are all 1,500 iles away.

Deidra said...

And another reminiscing about phones: having to hang up and start the dialing over (particularly annoying on the line rotary phone we had) instead of back spacing to get it right. And having to dial yourself instead of clicking on a link or having Siri do it!

(Both of my comments made from my phone while feeding a baby, to keep myself awake. Amazing!)

Cali said...

655-4428. If you, ray, or dad don't answer, I'm in real trouble. Well, I guess I have 911 memorized too. I remember dialing your own number and hanging up really fast, on the old phones, then your phone would ring and you could trick someone in your house into answering an empty call... hahahahahaha. Lame, I know.

Grace said...

Yay for getting an iPhone! We are so excited for you and so excited we can facetime! I'm so glad you're blogging again. We've missed you!

Becky said...

I resisted for soo long but I've had my iPhone for a year now and I love it. The only "bad" thing is that I spend less time on my regular computer because I can quickly check e-mails on my phone, etc. This probably explains part of my reduction in blogging.

I can't remember any of my old phone numbers because we moved a lot growing up but I do remember having a rotary phone. My grandparents even had the kind where the mouthpiece and earpiece weren't connected (think Andy Griffith show). Fun memories!

Nicole said...

I love this post! Yay for iPhone you can FaceTime me anytime you want too. :) my favorite part of this post was imagining why Jane would be sent to jail. But just in case my phone number is really easy to memorize.