ET Phone Home

Friday’s Feature

There’s a reason ET wanted a phone … he acknowledged what the rest of us (sometimes) pretend isn’t true. Phones keep us connected – they are the leashes and leads of modern life; it is through the bit of plastic and metal that we all carry around that we are all reminded we aren’t islands, but rather archipelagoes. (Is that the right way to make that word plural? It looks funky.)

The story goes that my first word was phone. Strange for a first word, maybe … but consider the source! In the basement of my childhood home, we had a green rotary phone that looked a bit like this. 

I used to play with the dial, starting with zero, swirling my finger over each digit. Sometimes I would just pick up the receiver and listen to the dial tone – it fascinated me that the phone could magically connect me with anyone! Anywhere! (I realize now I probably accidentally called China at some point. Oops.) 

Over the years, my reliance and dependence on telephones as a form of connection and communication has waxed and waned. There have been plenty of occasions when I’ve left my phone on Airplane Mode for days at a time because I didn’t want any distractions from anyone or anything. There have also been times when I’ve obsessively checked my phone over and over for messages, correspondence from someone near and dear, or for that rogue random special person who has a way of popping in and out of my life. No matter which way I approach it, I’m attached to my phone, even if I’m pointedly ignoring it.

Over the last two weeks, my phone has been on the fritz. I keep losing connectivity with whatever happens out in the ethos to keep me tethered to the rest of the world. As a result, my calls drop, my messages won’t send and I can’t ask the Oracle any of the random questions that pop into my mind. Even though I’m in one of those “tucking off from the world” modes right now, this phone business is driving me batty! I can’t listen to music, make notes about my workouts, log my food, read the news … in short, I’m finding it difficult to function at all. As such, I’ve had to make some changes to how I’m communicating with the world. Sitting in front of a screen isn’t ideal after I do it all day in Dental World, but that’s been what it takes this week. First world problems, all of these. I know. But damn if I don’t live a first world life. Huh. The revelation is startling and scary all at once.