10 on the 10th: March 2023-Can You Hear Me Now? & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #642
The time seems to always be flying these days and here we are at the 10th of another month which means it is time for Marsha’s 10 on the 10th series where she presents us with 10 questions about a common theme and asks us to share our answers in blog post form. This series is such a wonderful way to share more information about ourselves and to learn interesting new things about others. Anyone is invited to join and answer the questions. It is a great way to start new conversations and make meaningful connections with new people.
Marsha’s March questions are all about telephones so let me know if you can hear my answers or not!
1. What kind of phone did you have when you were a kid…landline or cell phone?
The first handheld mobile phone was demonstrated in 1973, the year before I was born, but cell phones were not commercially available until 1983 and didn’t really become a thing that regular people owned until the early 1990s. So I definitely grew up with a landline, not a cell phone. I got my first cell phone in 1996 at the age of 22 right after I graduated from college. It looked like a cross between the first and second phones in the image below.
2. Do you remember party lines?
I never used a party line although they existed until the 1980s, but I do recall my mother telling us stories about party lines and how much she hated them. I guess that’s why we switched to a private line as soon as they were available!
3. What was your first cell phone?
See #1. I don’t have any recollection of what kind of phone I had or what provider I used. I can’t even remember where I went to get it. Probably a kiosk in the mall. I have smoked a lot of pot in the last 27 years so the make of my first cell phone is not information that was worth taking up the limited storage space inside my marijuana brain! But I do remember the phone being big and bulky with a thick clear plastic casing that made it difficult to push the buttons. The clear case would get all foggy and gross from my make up and skin oils. There was no speakerphone so you had to smash the thing against your face to hear the person on the other end. Can you hear me now?!
4. Do you still have a landline?
I got rid of my landline about 5 years ago. But I did hold onto it for longer than most people I know. I have never really enjoyed talking on the telephone so making the transition to only cell phones at home was difficult for me. But eventually I just stopped using the landline since I don’t really enjoy talking on the phone so it was time to give it up.
5. Do you screen your phone calls?
Oh, yes I do. Like I said, I don’t much like talking on the phone so I screen all calls and respond when I am mentally and emotionally ready. Caller id was one of the best innovations ever for my phone anxiety! Although technology for caller identification services was being worked on as early as the 1960s, it wasn’t until the 1990s when it became commercially accessible to everyone. I guess all of our cell phones now are equipped with caller identification so we are forced to screen our calls even if we didn’t want to!
6. What is the longest amount of time you’ve spent on the phone?
Although I don’t enjoy phone talking, I generally spend 2-4 hours on each phone call with my sister. She does like to talk on the phone, therefore, I tend to limit my phone calls with her to a few times a month. If it were up to her, we would talk every day for 2-4 hours! So I guess 4 hours would be the longest I ever spent on the phone.
7. What is your current phone?
An iPhone something or other. It’s one of the smaller/older ones but the most recent upgrade of it. I don’t like those big ones that don’t fit neatly inside pockets or car cup holders!
8. Do you use your smartphone only as a phone?
I use my phone for phone calls, texting, listening to music, playing games, checking emails and the weather, and reading the news. I also use my iPhone camera for my blog photos. I do not use my cell phone for photo editing or blog writing or online ordering or sending emails or watching videos. I prefer to do all of those types of things on my laptop. Probably because my old eyes can’t properly see the tiny phone fonts. Yes, I do have it set to the largest font specifically for old eyes. Nope, I still can’t read it. Maybe I should upgrade to a larger phone! But I did just order new glasses with an increased bifocal prescription so hopefully that will help.
9. When you were a kid, did you play “Telephone”?
Of course, I did! I have played as an adult as well. In fact, I have a favorite story about Telephone. When Jeff and I decided to get married, I was coaching a high school swim team at the time so I decided I would announce our engagement to the team through a game of Telephone. I whispered to the first swimmer, “I am getting married.” That swimmer translated it to the second swimmer as “Micki is getting married.” (They all called me Coach Micki.) By the time it got to the last swimmer, it definitely had changed. We laughed so hard when we asked the final swimmer what the message was. Her name was Vicky and she looked up bewildered and a little sad as she said, “Vicky is hairy???” Oh my goodness, the poor girl! I quickly yelled, “NO! I’m getting married!” And we all had a great laugh.
10. Does your significant other have a special ringtone?
No special ringtones around here. Mostly because I can’t figure that stuff out. And also because I generally have all sounds turned off anyway and rely solely on the vibration feature. One thing I really hate about the cell phone generation is the expectation that we answer every call, text, or message immediately just because we have the capability of doing so. No, thanks. My cell phone is for my convenience not for anyone else’s. But I do always respond. It just might not be immediately. Nor does it have to be!
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If you enjoyed reading my answers, be sure to check out Marsha’s post and her link party for more interesting responses. And feel free to share your own answers in the comments. I would love to read them!
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
30 Comments
Anne M Bray
I’m with you on caller ID! And the iPhone Spam/Junk filter is great too. I’m an avid number blocker. If it’s an unknown number, and they don’t leave a voice mail, blocked!
Have a great weekend!
xo
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ha, I love your no nonsense approach! Don’t know ya. Blocked! Have a fabulous weekend, friend! Don’t call me! Hahahahaha
xoxo
Shelbee
Kym
Oh that’s so funny about how you announced your engagement! Quite clever! Phone anxiety is a real thing! I’m not prone to anxiety, but I hate talking on the phone so much and have to really psych myself up to make calls sometimes. I have only maybe three people I’m comfortable talking to on the phone.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Kym, thanks so much! I didn’t realize how awful my phone anxiety was until I attempted a job in a T-Mobile call center many years ago. I never even made it out of the training program! As soon as we got to talking to real live customers, I was out of there!
xoxo
Shelbee
April
Thanks for hosting. i LOVE the polka dot dress.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, April! I am so glad that you joined us!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Yes! I hate that the phones keep getting larger and my only stipulation is that it has to fit in my pocket…. and at that i’d prefer that my current phone was a little smaller. I don’t jump to answer texts or calls unless my boys are off driving somewhere because I always worry that it might be them calling for help or something.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Right, Joanne?! I have a laptop so I don’t need my cell phone to be the same size as my laptop. That is just silly. I do answer any local calls that come in during the week because it could be the school or some doctor’s office confirming or rescheduling an appointment. But once all my people are safely at home with me, I shut it all down!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rena
Shelbee, I so agree with your statement “My cell phone is for my convenience not for anyone else’s. But I do always respond. It just might not be immediately. Nor does it have to be!” I apparently have a rep in the family for not answering my phone even though I’m rarely more than 3 feet away from it. I just say tell them that they should have texted if it was important.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Rena! I am with you, text me if it’s that important and tell me why I need to call you back! My sister knows that I don’t always answer my phone if I am not in the mood to talk but she also knows that if it is urgent, she just needs to text me that and I will be right on that phone call without hesitation. But still, the phone is for my convenience!
xoxo
Shelbee
Valerie h Hansen
Shelbee, I love this post. how fun! Well I have you beat , I was born in 65,,so phones in the wall were a thing and no such thing as cell phones. I got my first smart phone in 06 and no longer have a land line!
I love your outfit and shorter hair cut too! Have a happy wknd!!
Valerie
http://www.mapleleopard.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Valerie! We also had a corded phone that was mounted on the wall when I was a kid. My grandmother had a rotary phone until her death in 2008! I do remember when we got our first cordless phone and my parents mounted the base right over the stove top range for some reason. And we would accidentally drop the receiver into the cooking food if you weren’t careful to make sure it was snugly fitted into the wall mount!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Ha! I had to laugh at the game of telephone you played with your swim team. I love that I can screen my phone calls. I typically don’t answer unless the call is from someone I know. Anyone else can leave message. And my phone is typically on vibrate too.
Michelle
https://funkyfashionstyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michelle! That Telephone story is one of my favorites! I was really excited about Marsha’s questions which gave me the opportunity to share it! Like you, I much prefer to talk in person than on the phone…as is very clearly evidenced by the nature of our friendship! Some texts and a few short phone calls here and there and then nonstop talking when we see each other in person!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Poor Vicky! We used to play that game a lot in my classroom unless we had cases of head lice! I used to love to talk on the phone, and I would still talk for hours with my bff, but I am not a fan anymore. I don’t know if I’m growing old and crotchety or what! I think it may be because the damn thing is always there. It irritates Mike to no end when I have it on silent and put it down and promptly forget where it is! I just on’t like being that available!
Thanks for the link party and for playing along with 10 on the 10th!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
This was a super fun series of questions, Marsha! I really enjoyed thinking about and writing my answers. As much of a pothead as I am, it is surprising that I rarely misplace my phone. Surprising but good since I always have the sounds turned off, too. When my kids are at school and my husband is at work, I tend to keep my phone on my person at all times. I’m just that paranoid! But once all my people are safely at home with me, then I generally leave the phone on the end table by my spot on the couch.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
Your telephone story is so funny! My first cell phone was a bag phone that you had to plug into the cigarette lighter. I thought I was so cool. LOL! Have a great weekend!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jill! Oh my gosh, the bag phone! LOL I hope your weekend is wonderful as well, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
I don’t like talking on the phone either. In fact I almost never answer calls immediately. I hope they will text me or whatsapp. I like that better.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
While neither of us enjoy phone talking all that much, we sure can spend hours talking on Zoom! I do prefer to see your beautiful face while we chat!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lizzie
What a fun post! I got my first phone at 16 and it was ONLY because my parent’s forgot to pick me up from a football game at school….it was 10pm LOL! It was pretty traumatic back then but what a story haha! It was a nokia and it was only to be used for emergencies. I have an iPhone now (I was a droid user for the longest time so the switch was hard!) and I actually don’t use it as a phone very often. I’ve never actually been much of a “phone” person in terms of chatting so I typically only use it to talk to family or text friends. My main use is, of course, for social media. I would say it’s 95% for that. I also screen my phone calls LOL! There are so many scam callers now. But also, since I don’t like being on the phone much, I’m very selective with who I talk to (because some people like to talk for hours and I don’t have the time). What’s worse for me actually is text messaging. I get so busy and don’t see it or I’ll see it when it’s late at night when people are sleeping and so I go forever without texting people back. I’m the WORST! But I’m trying to get better about staying on top of it. As for playing telephone, that was one of my favorite games as a kid!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Lizzie, thanks so much for sharing your phone answers! I really enjoyed reading them! I remember one time I stayed after school to work on a project and my mom forgot to pick me up. I was in middle school, maybe 7th grade. Fortunately, there was basketball practice going on so I was able to access the pay phone in the gym but I had to call collect because I didn’t have any coins for the pay phone! It was very traumatizing! While I don’t use my phone much for phone calls, I do appreciate the security that cell phones provide!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
I love the caller ID and I if I don’t know you I will not answer. I got my first cell in 2004 and don’t have any ringtones for anybody. I am a simple person.
Thanks for hosting and looking cute there.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
My phone settings are all pretty simple, too, Patrick. Because it’s for my convenience! Ha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I remember our old landline phone – the model was known as the “trim phone” and it was avocado green. Waiting for the dial to go back to the top if there were a lot of 8s and 9s in the number – it gives me anxiety thinking about it now!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, remember if you dialed one wrong number, you had to start all over again! It was super anxiety provoking!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
I stayed in a hotel recently that had an actual landline with a cord and everything (not a cordless phone) for calling the front desk, and I couldn’t get over how crisp and clear the connection was! It’s funny how we’ve gotten used to the static and feedback from cell phones!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Cheryl, that is a really funny and fascinating observation! We really have gotten used to all the static and connection issues that come with cell phones that we simply laugh at corded landlines…but they do work so much better!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
Isn’t it funny how none of us remember much about our first phones. You’d think we would have thought them highly significant. I guess because they only gave us voice on the move, no texts or anything else, we weren’t that impressed! The telephone game sounds fun. I wish we’d played it.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Gail, I didn’t think of that, but you are so right! Not very many of us remembered our first cell phones but I do remember it being just kind of weird, not necessarily thrilling in any way. The limited capacity of the early phones probably did not impress us very much. I was fine only having phone access while at home. This was a fun set of questions!
xoxo
Shelbee