Old-Fashioned

Communications!  In this day and age, we have so many options in the field of communication with one another. Computers of all sizes for email and social networks, cell phones for speaking and texting, home phones, blah, blah, blah.  The world 'round is buzzing 24-7 with communications.

While, it's  fantastic that we are able to have such 'instant' discussion with people wherever they may be in the world, do we really need to be so 'instantaneous' ?   It  used to be fun to come home from a day at work, or a vacation, push the button on the answering machine, and discover who's called in our absence.  Now, voice mail is on that little cell phone, and those who choose not to or are briefly unable to answer their cells, are inundated with messages.  For business people, that is a very convenient thing, but why does the common man need to be so 'immediately informed' or bothered, as the case may be. 

Why does every teenager, and many children, need to have a cell phone at the ready everywhere they go? The answer they and their parents may offer is, ' to be able to reach Mom'.  Well, let me say this. I've had a cell phone for only the last two years of my life, and that is used only for traveling or emergencies if my home phone goes off in a power outage. And...I've never had trouble contacting my Mom  (or another person) if I needed help.

When I was a teenager, I was lucky to have a princess phone in my room. I didn't have my own phone number, it was an extention to the home phone. My time on the phone was limited, as others in the house might need to use it. If I needed to make a call while I was out, I'd go to the nearest phone booth. "What's that?," some younger people might ask these days!  It was a conveniently placed, public telephone that you put some change into, made your brief call, and hung up! Cell phones have nearly obliterated phone booths in this country, although I recently saw one on one of our day trips.

During my growing up years, nobody walked around with a silly device hooked on to their ears (unless it was a hearing aid!) People didn't wander through stores talking to someone who was invisible to all as they released their frustrations or told the latest gossip, unless the speaker was somewhat mentally ill. Nobody thought it was a necessity to reach someone "NOW" unless there was a medical emergency.

I've stuck with my determination not to use that cell phone under most conditions. I usually forget to take it with me when I go out, unless we are going on an extended trip, which is what I bought it for. I don't feel that I need another fashion accessory wrapped around my ear; I prefer earrings to something ringing in my ear!  I don't even care much for the telephone at home, usually they aren't someone I want to talk with anyway.  With the current medical testing showing that cell phones may be responsible for brain cancers, I think I may end up being the only one I know who will be brain cancer free... and old-fashioned enough to think that I don't need that phone!