Telephones

 

Because our flat has such thick walls we have a land line. The alternative is to go outside to use the mobile.

This morning I needed to change a dentist appointment so I used the landline. There is still snow on the ground making a mobile call less than pleasant. I could dial. Sometimes it went through, sometimes it didn't. Even when it did, the call would disconnect.

A little investigation showed a loose wire and it worked.

It seems today with all the technology it is a lot harder to make a phone call. There has to be enough bars, signals, etc, Sometimes I feel even with the landline, I need to make an offering to the telephone goddess before reaching my party.

One of the interesting parts of being old, is seeing the evolution of things.

My first experience with telephones was picking up the phone and giving the number to the operator who placed the call. Young women thought this job was a guarantee of lifetime employment. Oh well.

Sometimes the operator was a friend and you'd chat. The day I got my driver's license and was calling to tell a friend, the operator, who had been to driving school with me, asked if I got it.

We had a private line, although party lines were less expensive and involved consideration with those who shared your number.

Dial was a huge advance followed by all kinds of phones: wall, colored, princess and even characters like Snoopy. I was given one by a friend to make sure that I didn't take myself too seriously.  It worked.

Moving to Switzerland in 1990 every call one made was charged even if it were next door. It was almost necessary to sell your first born child to afford a call to the States or at least rent her out. 

As technology advanced upward, prices marched downward.

Different services over the internet reduced calling anywhere in the world to almost nothing or nothing. My stepmom in Florida never grasped this and on our regular calls she always said, "this is costing you a fortune, Dear" when there was no charge at all.

I am not a big fan of phones. They are interruptions and if I want to continue to qualify as a COW (Cranky Old Woman) I complain. I do try to refine my complaining.

Send me email or Facebook message. I'll get back to you. 

I do love my mobile though. It takes great pictures.