Please Don’t Call Me

I think by now a majority of you have figured out that I am not a girly girl. I now have another confession to make and hopefully it doesn’t take you by surprise. I hate to talk on the phone. Yes, even with my love for cell phones. But it isn’t like that is what I use the phone for.

Many years ago when I had started Junior High School I had gotten excited when I had not only made a new friend but we exchanged phone numbers so we could talk. We agreed on a set time and she would call me. I raced home all excited about finally feeling like a teenager with a friend who was going to call me on the phone. I get home, do my chores, and then wait with bated breath. She finally calls and the phone barely made it to second ring by the time I answered. I settled down at the kitchen table for my first real session at teen talk. I was disappointed. All we ended up talking about was what we talked about between classes at school. I got bored and I got bored quick. I started saying goodbye 30 minutes in but she didn’t take the hints to well. I tried to pace but back then we had corded phones so pacing was limited. An ag0nizing hour later I told her my mom was home and I had to get off the phone to help her bring groceries in. I had lied. After that I spent afternoons outside and avoided the phone. Eventually boys called and they loved to call me. I never stayed on that phone for more than 5 minutes with them. Why did I need to talk to them for 40 minutes to find out what movie they wanted to take me to? They would get me on the phone, ask, I answer, then they ask what time to pick me up, I give them that info and “you must meet my dad”, they agreed, we hung up. Short and sweet and kept it simple.

I have simply never enjoyed sitting on a phone and chatting. I have done it and I have done it out of my love for people but as a teen and my early 20′s I managed to avoid the phone as much as possible. Granted I have had jobs that require me to use the phone (oh like my current one) but I always keep it short. At work it’s about getting the info shared between two parties. But the idea of just sitting to chat makes my skin crawl. I would much rather talk in person. Granted this hard with people who are far away but occasionally I make an exception for those people. But only occasionally.

I think the most difficult thing about the phone is that I don’t talk. Usually whomever I am on the phone with talks the entire time. Then they ask the dreaded “how are you” and all I can think to say is “I am ok” or “I am good” and then there is complete silence. I can feel them waiting for me to somehow embellish on my statement but what do I say? Usually this person ends up in trying to pull teeth for me to engage in conversation but it becomes aggravating for them quickly as I am usually at a loss for words. Never quite understood why because when I meet someone socially for a meal I have no problems talking.

These days I talk on the phone for work purposes. On my cell I don’t make calls unless I need to call my mother/father in law because I need to let them know I am running late. They are the only people I can’t text, everyone else gets a text from me. I receive calls on my cell but unless you are someone who has my kid (daycare, school, babysitter) I don’t answer (and I have some friends that forget I have a job and call me during my work day). I will email, write a letter, or text someone and that is pretty much it.

These days my aversion to the phone is out of 20 years of practice. I have one person who has asked me several times to call her. Unfortunatley I am at a point where I don’t think of picking up my cell and calling anyone. I am quite busy during my day between work, kids, and my social life. Calling someone ends up way low on my to do list and since I have trained myself to not make phone calls, just thinking to call someone is a miracle within itself. It’s not that I don’t like anyone or I am avoiding anyone……I just don’t do the phone thing. So please don’t take offense if I don’t call you. Just shoot me an email about it.