I'm a Bad, Bad Girl!

I remember my high school days when I lived for nights and weekends chatting on the phone. I lived for the phone. I wanted my very own phone with my own phone number. I hated sharing the phone with my two older sisters who had the same phone frenzy as I did. Being the younger of the three oldest girls in our large family, I always got last dibs on our lone communication device. I remember viewing each of my sisters departure from the home as a glimmer of hope at more phone time with my boyfriend.

I remember those talks well. I'd sit on the stairs and talk very quietly so as to not divulge my great secrets to the rest of my family (usually my little brother Rob would be lurking about somewhere close by). After hours of talking of almost nothing, the conversation usually took a turn like this:


Me: Well, it's late, I prolly better go before my mom catches me

Boyfriend: K

Me: You say "goodbye" and hangup first, OK?

Boyfriend: No you

Me: No way! I did it first last time.

Boyfriend: OK, I'll say "goodbye" first but you have to be the first to hang up.

Me: OK

Boyfriend: Good Bye and I love you!

Me: silence

Boyfriend: You're supposed to hang up now

Me (wailing): I can't!!!!! You hang up!

Boyfriend: I can't either, you'll have to hang up.

Me: No you!

Boyfriend: You said you'd hang up first if I said "good bye!"

Me: OK, you're right. Long Pause

And so on. Sometime it took us hours to hang up. Some of you can probably relate to these silly teenage romances. However silly they may be, I am lucky enough to have married the above mentioned boyfriend, James.

Anyway, I digress. I am a bad, bad girl because I have ceased to do well at catching up with people on the phone. What once was a distinct competency has now become a chore that gets relegated to the back burner. I admit it, I procrastinate!
I have family and friends who I love to get together with for coffee, outings, and email, but when it comes to picking up the phone for a chat - not so good. I owe you all a sincere apology. However, I would like to suggest that you lower your expectations you have of me in this regard. I am not good at catching up by phone.

I believe this reluctance comes from spending the better part of every day on the phone in teleconferences as part of my job. It means that when my day is over, one of the last things I want to do is get on the phone. Selfish of me, I admit, but I doubt I'll change until I'm an old cane-totting granny with no job, and am lonely and bored. Then watch out! I'll become a phone calling freak: kids, grand kids, family, friends, acquaintances, repair men, neighbors, and whomever else I can get to lend me an ear.

[NOTE: I remember a similar situation when I worked at the mall when the kids were little. I ended up hating going shopping (much to my husband's delight). I hated going to the store since I worked at one. This has actually paid off over the years, until such time as online shopping came onto the scene. My sweetest dreams were realized.]

I may be a bad girl, but at least I acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness.
you've now seen my explanation and read my apology (notice I didn't call you) and have a sincere hope that you will all understand and give me grace for another 20 years or so.

Then watch out!

I Can Walk and Chew Gum - at the Same Time!

I can walk, chew gum, and participate in a teleconference at the same time. But wait, I have opposable thumbs and walk upright!

Take a peek at this video of a species that isn't supposed to be able to do what he does.

Unbelievable!