I, too, hate the telephone.

Or, more accurately, the tyranny of the telephone.

Maybe it's genetic. My dad hated the phone. I used to thing it was because he was a doctor and a ringing phone might mean an emergency, but as I got older I realized there was more to it.

Part of it is an anti-pavlovian reflex: I don't want to stop what I'm doing and jump and run every time a bell rings. It's not a matter of screening calls -- long before caller ID I had mastered the art of Just Not Answering.

I spend lots of time on the phone. I get a lot of value from it. I appreciated it when a far-away friend said recently, "it's good to hear your voice."  And I have some really good phone relationships where both I and the other person can tell quickly that it's not a good moment and either of us can end the call without feeling awkward.

But the phone is not the boss of me. At least I don't want it to be.

Comments

[David Hoggard]

In a couple of weeks, Jinni is quitting her job at PGI and come work with me. Get me organized.

Yesterday, she said the first thing she wants to do is commandeer my cell phone so she can screen my calls so that might get some work done.

It rings constantly - it seems. I try to answer every one, even when I'm on a ladder, carrying loads, sawing wood, doing an estimate spreadsheet, payroll, etc. I do so to avoid the even more time-consuming tasks of having to listen to voice mail later, write down the message and then return the call.

I hate the telephone because it is the boss of me, but I'm getting ready to change bosses.

[Laurie]

I totally, wholeheartedly relate to your hatred of the telephone. I'm one of the last people on earth not to own a cell phone, and I don't usually answer the phone at home. It absolutely has to do with the summoning of the bell and the expectation that you must drop everything to attend to it. For a while I worked on a relaxation breathing technique that I tied in with the telephone ringing at work. It helped but I still hate the thing. I can't imagine why people are so addicted to their cells.

[Kim]

I agree. I screen all calls and have an unlisted number so it's hard for people to figure out my phone number. I DO have a cell phone but it's just a tracfone and I don't have it on very often...it's for emergencies. I like it that way. If people want to get a hold of me, their best bet is to email me. I answer email. I don't answer the phone. Unless it's my mom or someone along those lines. ;-) OH! And, if someone does call me and gets voice mail, they should leave a message. I'll call people back, but I can't if they don't leave message!