Love - Hate

Many, many of you readers, too many really, know how horrible I am with staying in touch. I definitely have a love-hate relationship with the phone and am truly old school in that I often don't have my cell phone with me. Even when it is in my purse, I often have it on vibrate so that I don't alert all of Target, or the restaurant, or the movie theater, or the church congregation that I'm indeed receiving a call. In many ways, I operate as though my cell phone is a land line. And truth be told, I was never that teenage girl twirling the cord around her finger while engaging in hour long conversations when I did have a land line. I'm just not much of a phone talker.


My mother is fairly new to the cell phone world and she, unlike me, has embraced it with open arms. So has my father. They text and will answer a call whenever, wherever. They even have their fancy iphones on their person while in the house (even though they have 2 land lines). I believe that they are so willing to answer the phone, even if they don't have the time to talk, even if they don't want to talk, and even if they shouldn't talk because they are in the company of others, because they didn't always have answering machines, caller id, and cell phone conveniences. Sometimes I believe it's because they don't know any better. But if I'm being really honest, it is nice to know that I can pretty much reach them whenever I need to.


So, I'm the one who is missing my dear friend's calls, my family's, and my husband's, because my phone is far from me. When I worked for my father, I'd have to drive to various counties all over southern ca and had to have my phone in the car. I found my driving time as a great opportunity to return calls. This year in Arkansas, with diminished reception (a huge contributor), I've worked in a yogurt store environment where I can't talk on the phone and often forget it at home. And, every now and then, I'll see a dear friends' number pop up on the phone and sadly realize that I don't have adequate time to give to the friend, and resolve to call them back when I can sit down and focus on the conversation.

But I'm a scatter brained woman, and too often, I can't seem to find that time I need to return calls or worse yet, I'll forget I have calls to return in the first place. It's frustrating for me, but more so for my friends and family. Even my lovely husband feels the shaft. No person is immune. And my true friends have had to grant me a heaping spoonful of patience.


Well, anyway, I'm reading a book where the main character's sister has my problem of being inaccessible. The author describes,


"Since college, our communication has been sporadic, depending on our schedules, and more important, depending on Suzanne's mood. Sometimes she simply goes underground, and no amount of pestering will make her reemerge before she is good and ready."



Love it or hate it about me, I'm an old school girl who does go underground at times, going full days without thinking to look at my phone. My husband is usually the one that will announce across the apartment, "you have 4 missed calls." To which I usually respond, "I do? Where the heck is my phone."

Shoot, my mother and sister have figured it's best to try and reach me on my husband's phone, since he is good at having his on him. I don't know why, but I still am surprised when Cody receives texts which mirror, "what is robin's wedding china pattern?" when I don't even get the texted question. My sister has learned to keep calling...calling...calling, and sure enough - her method of reaching me works. Because although I miss more than half her calls, I'm bound to catch some of the many.

And to better illustrate how separated I am from the whole cell phone revolution, I have a free, basic, standard, run of the mill cell phone with no fancy anything distinguishing it: no sleek appearance, no internet. Although I sometimes think I want a better phone, such luxuries would truly be wasted on me.

So in the tradition of new year's resolutions - this is mine for 2011:

"I will return calls from friends and family. I will have my cell phone charged and on my person (but still on vibrate I'm sorry) at some point everyday."

Come December 2011, I hope to be a new, and improved, cell phone communicator.

Now, send out some positive thoughts, prayers if you will, so that I can accomplish this goal!