"Phone Home"
The only other time it happened was in high school algebra class.
The teacher was working out a formula on the chalkboard, and the solution came out to be my home phone number.
It was an odd sensation seeing the numbers up there.
Just four numbers to anyone else in the room.
But bold and obvious to me.
Significant to me.
"Hey!" I couldn't help shouting out. "That's my phone number!"
"Is it?" asked the teacher. She cocked her head to the side and looked at the board thoughfully. "Interesting."
I imagined she was stalling before erasing the board so that the boys in the class could make note of my home phone number.
But, no one ever called.
***
I've been taking meter readings at various radio stations since 1987.
Three sets of numbers every two hours.
For 24 years.
Last spring, just after Mom died, Dad's phone number (my former home phone number, you understand) started showing up in the meter readings.
Interesting, as my high school algebra teacher would say.
After so many years, why now?
I would have noticed that phone number if it had shown up there before. I would have.
So, I took it as a sign.
Whenever Dad's phone number came up, I was supposed to call him.
***
Today, I realized why Dad's phone number only just started showing up now in meter readings I'd been taking for decades.
Sometime last year, the standards changed. The maximums were raised.
Until that change, the numbers never climbed as high as they do now.
Until that change, the meter readings had been too low to reach Dad's phone number.
But, they're not anymore.
Bold and obvious to me...
I need to call my Dad more often.
The teacher was working out a formula on the chalkboard, and the solution came out to be my home phone number.
It was an odd sensation seeing the numbers up there.
Just four numbers to anyone else in the room.
But bold and obvious to me.
Significant to me.
"Hey!" I couldn't help shouting out. "That's my phone number!"
"Is it?" asked the teacher. She cocked her head to the side and looked at the board thoughfully. "Interesting."
I imagined she was stalling before erasing the board so that the boys in the class could make note of my home phone number.
But, no one ever called.
***
I've been taking meter readings at various radio stations since 1987.
Three sets of numbers every two hours.
For 24 years.
Last spring, just after Mom died, Dad's phone number (my former home phone number, you understand) started showing up in the meter readings.
Interesting, as my high school algebra teacher would say.
After so many years, why now?
I would have noticed that phone number if it had shown up there before. I would have.
So, I took it as a sign.
Whenever Dad's phone number came up, I was supposed to call him.
***
Today, I realized why Dad's phone number only just started showing up now in meter readings I'd been taking for decades.
Sometime last year, the standards changed. The maximums were raised.
Until that change, the numbers never climbed as high as they do now.
Until that change, the meter readings had been too low to reach Dad's phone number.
But, they're not anymore.
Bold and obvious to me...
I need to call my Dad more often.
6 comments:
A very good plan. Very good indeed.
Excellent plan. Solid reasoning.
Roses, this is really interesting. Really, it is. And, I'm sure we ALL need to call our folks more often.
I see my Dad every day, and my Mom calls me about every other day. So, I'm connected up pretty good. But, for folks that aren't as close to their parents as I am (like my eldest son that doesn't call me nearly often enough) it's something to take note of.
But what's got me puzzled is how backwater you growed up! You had "four numbers" to your telephone when you were in high school? Heck, we had seven - 746-3468. And, we had to wait for the dial to spin back around, too. It took forever it seemed.
Did you grow up on a "party line" or sumpin'?
Nyuk!
Andy: I had debated whether or not to explain "way back when" we only had to dial four numbers locally.
Smart ass.
The neighbors *did* have a party line.
I also had to wait for the dial to spin back around. (How stupid was 9-1-1 then, huh?)
The only time we had to dial 7 numbers was to get long distance.
And if we ever got a busy signal, Mom just made us hop on our bikes and deliver a message personally.
Roses: Bwahahahahahahahaha!
I figgered it was something like that. Thanks for the giggle this a.m. Seriously, I'm giggling, and I can't stop.
Later, Andy
Cellar Door: Got your notes. You're all good. :-)
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