Two Cans and a String
I have never tried it, but I am told that two empty cans connected with a string will transmit sound. “Hello. Hello, are you there?” Two cans? No, my android. “I can’t really hear you but thanks for calling. You sound like you are under water.” My son is on his speaker phone walking the streets of NYC and “Hello?” I guess he’s at the subway, there’s no reception under-ground. The difficult part for senior minded me living in today’s phone directed world is that I like singular concepts. One object for one activity. Phone—one object. Camera—one object. Calendar—one object. Clock—one object. Radio— one object. Game—one object that I take out, put away, and lose the pieces. Using the same device for a multitude of tasks is out of my comfort zone.
I invite you to reminisce and remember when a phone was only a phone. Growing up, it was common in our neighborhood for houses to have a small telephone room. Our next-door neighbor had a phone room under the main staircase. There was a built-in desk, a chair and of course the object in discussion—a phone. There was a door. You went inside, sat down and in quiet and privacy you made your calls. We didn’t have that style in our house. Instead, in a day of one phone per family, we had a multitude of phones. There was a phone in the kitchen, one on the porch, phones in two home offices and in all bedrooms. For some reason there was a princess phone in the attic. No missing a call at our house.
“So, what’s the point, Miss Pat?” Well, um, let me see, if I need to have a point it would be that a phone was a phone and only a phone. It was not a camera, a clock or a calendar. Because phones now share the arena with a cast of thousands, I can’t hear my son when he calls. Because it is more than a phone his phone is always with him. The reception stinks. Our calls get dropped. The phone part has been compromised because it is no longer just a phone.
May I now rant about responsibility and care?I have to remember to plug my phone in at night. I have to know where my phone is at all times. Is this a child? A pet? I know, it’s my little buddy that goes with me wherever I go. Being somewhat of a rebel, I dare to go on walks without my phone. I have been known to drive to the store without my phone. This makes me feel brave, fearless, daring, and possibly stupid.
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