Communication

I remember when I got to make my first phone call. It was on an old wall style phone in our kitchen with a 20 foot cord. My little fingers were barely strong enough to dial my grandmothers number. I remember then how amazing I thought it was that I could talk to anyone that was anywhere with that thing!

Of course "anywhere" meant any home that had a phone. And.. as long as that person was home at the time. If you were expecting an important call you couldn't leave the house until you got it.

Then came answering machines and phones that didn't need machines to answer themselves. This made it easier to get out and about. Nothing much happened until I got a pager. Now I could call someone when they summoned me. From pager I went to cell phone. Not the brick. I had to wait a little longer. I was amazed though. Now I could make or receive a call from anywhere. I didn't have to wait at home for a call.

It was hard to predict the jump from talking to writing to people. Instant message became my method of choice for direct communication. Of course I ended up talking only to people who had a personal computer that they were attached to. From instant message I went to texting and now I'm at the hybrid of the two. Facebook and twitter messages.

I look back to that time of amazement at being able to use the phone and how it closed distances. Now I just pick up my iphone to see if anyone's around.