The Princess Phone

WOW the technology we have today in telephones! I have a very smart phone, it tracks my exercise. It tracks my calories; I believe there is an App to track anything. It does more than I will ever know or need. I do not suffer from telephone envy when the newest brightest phone is unveiled. There was a day when I did have telephone envy.

 It was over 40 years ago. My best friend Susan had a Princess Phone. The sleek phone was on her night stand between her and her sisters bed. It had its own number 742-1388 the phone was just theirs. No calls for Mom or Dad on it. I would have loved to have had my own phone. But I had to share with the family. We did have three phones, in the kitchen, my Mom’s room and the living room.  It was not unusual to only have one line in a home. Parents thought the conversations we were having could be in public. No real need for privacy. But we did get our privacy when we added the 25’ cord to the kitchen phone. We could stretch that cord out to the garage. There were many a wall phone pulled off the wall while trying to get privacy or quite.

I believe now if our children had to live under those circumstances the child protective services might come in.  It might be some kind of child neglect. I miss those days. I miss when you called a friend their attention was completely yours. There were no interruptions with call waiting. You could not be distracted with driving, walking, shopping, texting. You were tethered to the end of that cord. The caller ID you had, was to have your sibling answer the phone. Oh and the phone etiquette! “Hello this is the Smith Home, I am sorry my father is not available may I take a message?”

Today’s phone etiquette where is that taught? I believe there could be an entire book written on the subject now that our phones go everywhere with us.