Annoying, Ringy Thing

I have to confess that as a teenage girl I could spend endless hours talking on the phones with my friends. And while for the life of me, I can’t remember of even now imagine what we could have to talk about during all those hours, I do recall how obsessively, insanely important it was at the time. It’s no coincidence that the worst grounding I ever got was not being able to talk on the phone. My dad knew how to deal out cruel punishments.

How the times have changed. Now when the phone rings, I announce to my husband “annoying, ringy thing”. Just in case he hadn’t noticed the thing hanging on the wall was making an annoying, soul stealing sound.

The sound of the ringing phone just grates like nails across a blackboard. It’s an instant snap of unhappy, headache inducing aggravation. I snatch the phone up and look at the Caller ID (a most fantastic invention). Then I can choose whether or not to answer it. If the number isn’t one that I know or I suspect of being any sort of telemarketer (on the Do Not Call List, but that still leaves you open to a whole host of exempt entities) I either hit the silence button (which at least keeps me from being annoyed by the phone closest to me) or I pick up the line and immediately hang up. I KNOW that I should probably just answer and tell them to stop calling, but well, I don’t. Otherwise, I answer the phone sounding well, really annoyed. It’s not the person calling (most of the time) that has annoyed me…I’m just annoyed that the phone rang.

I think the change started when I worked in a call center and I talked on the phone all day. The last thing I wanted to do on my own time was talk on the phone. And has evolved over time into the current affliction. It doesn’t help that it seems to happen at the worst times…during dinner, while I’m washing dishes, or deeply involved in something. It’s like there is some sort of universal signaling system that subliminally broadcasts the sudden desire for people to call you while you are fully engaged in something else.

Before Heidi and I both had DVR, we would be watching critical (Lost & Heroes) at the same time. We would communicate by text message any thoughts, statements regarding the current episode. The hubby would walk through and ask why we just didn’t call each other. Because I can text quickly or wait for a commercial break or read a quick message without actually distracting myself from the show….talking on the phone is distracting. Talking on the phone is annoying….even when I’ve made the call…it’s just worse if you have to do if AFTER being jolted out of peaceful content by the horrible ringing sound.