I am afraid of the phone. I am just gonna get it out in the open. Apparently one of my bigger flaws is that I don't carry my cell phone around, or keep it charged for that matter. Normally it's not a huge issue, I listen to my messages once every couple a' days and aside from getting a couple snide messages from Ralphie and a couple very agitated messages from my dad (who I think is the person my lack of cell phone carrying annoys the most), I usually don't miss much. E-mail me and I will e-mail you back for sure within 12 hours and more likely within 12 minutes; but call me and it's a gamble. Then once in a while something important happens. Like on Monday night after about two days of not knowing where my phone was I got a message from my friends husband about a family emergency and he needed help with his little boy the next day, which at the time I listened to the message, the "next day" was actually "yesterday". And I missed my chance, not only did I miss my chance but surely he thought I was ignoring his messages since he left three pretty desperate ones. I feel like scum.
So, what to do. I've tried to be better. I've made commitments and promises and all sorts of stuff, and I do better for like....a day and then it is back to the old way of not knowing or caring where my cell phone is.
I think maybe it all started when I was working for a pest control company and my whole job was to carry around THREE cell phones, plus my own and answer them consistently. That is a LOT of cell phones people. It was hard because Gwen was little and if a phone rang I would just throw her in the crib, shut the door and go answer it. So maybe I am trying to compensate for some of that neglect. I also really thought I was on the fast track to getting a brain tumor from so much cell phone usage back then, and I swore once I didn't have the job anymore that I would never hold a cell phone to my head again (I'm totally serious).
Anyway, now you all know. I don't screen my calls; if I have my cell phone and I am not busy doing something else THEN I will answer, no matter who you are. But seriously, if there is an emergency please e-mail me or call Blaine or Ralphie or come on over. At least until January when one of my New Years Resolutions will be to carry my phone with me always.
Do you prefer phone or e-mail? I mean, I seriously would rather drive over to your house to talk to you than call you on the phone. I'm such a freak that way.
The end.
7 comments:
If only you'd had your cell phone and could have come to Twilight with us. Too bad. . . :)
I am all over email like butter on toast. I usually have my cell within hearing distance but I rarely make it in time (my diaper bag is a black hole). And I do kind of screen my calls. Email though..I love email.
I sold pest control! I didn't know you were an office manager? what did blaine do ? Sell? Manage? or when i a cute little truck to kill the bad bugs?
I am always in contact with my agents but I am the first one the shut my phone off any day I Can - mostly any holiday or when I am out of town. I'm pretty bad at checking my e-mail though. oh well.
Yah, email all the way. I think you already know that about me though. I mean, I basically don't even have a cell phone for all intents and purposes. But I actually have a home line, unlike SOME people. So that usually works for me though I don't usually prefer it...
No need for a home line, Gretchen. Cell phones work just fine (except when we're "out of service area", like at home :).
My preference for myself and for others is to keep your cell phone near as a habit. I appreciate people who make themselves available to friends and family by keeping their cell phones near.
You can always screen calls or turn your phone off or on vibrate (mine is always on vibrate, and sometimes it takes a few hours 'til I get a message, but not more than that) when you need to. That works for me.
Email is hit or miss. G-Chat is better, though as you and I demonstrated the other day, it can lead to miscommunication due to timing/multi-tasking ("What time is the Turkey Bowl?").
Oh the things I learn (which brings me to a very important question: Do you read these reponses that are put on days after you have written your blog? I really need to know since I won't bother if you don't but I love to if you do) Which brings me back to - I now know the best way to get a hold of you - on line. Since phone is always easiest and best for me, I just assume that about others. I knew phones weren't your favorite, but now I really get it. And by the way, grandpa Ned did not like phones, either. He was on the phone all day at work and so when we came home he avoided it. I can think of him being right next to the phone and having it ring and ring and he would wait for one of us to pick it up. He hated the phone.
Fun post. And let me know if you got it. You can call me (kidding - you can email me, but I might not get it for a few days.)
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