I Have Never Liked the Phone

When I was little, before the days of caller ID, a lot of people would make obscene and threatening phone calls. I had been taught only that children should respect adults and answer truthfully any questions any adult asked. So... I answered the phone, the man asked me all kinds of nasty questions, including, "Where do you live?" and I answered everything. I was very upset about it, but didn't know what else to do. My parents weren't home at the time. When they got home and I told them what had happened, I got into big trouble. But, as usual, they didn't tell me what I should have done instead. I refused to answer the phone at all for awhile, but got into trouble for that. Then, whenever I did answer the phone, it seemed it was always one of those bad calls. I finally got a police whistle and kept it next to the phone so I could blow it into the ear of my tormentors.

Now I don't get obscene calls, and I'm on the no-call list, but anytime my land line rings it's either a wrong number or someone asking for money. So I don't answer that phone at all. Anyone that I want to call me knows my cellphone number and that helps a lot.

Still, I really don't enjoy talking on the phone even to people I know. I'd rather chat online or talk in person. And I hate answering machines - my mind always goes blank when I have to leave a message on one. And then I babble.