Personal memories . . .
I used to hang out with Grampa and Granma when I was pre-school. Looking back it was probably day care for Mom & Dad who were farmers and worked from sun up till after sundown thanks to electric lights.
Back then in rural areas the phone company was infantile. One line strung on posts for a group of subscribers. It was called a Party Line and each phone number had a distinct ring pattern. One short, one long or two short, two long. It was the honor system with everybody supposedly respecting each other's privacy. Of course Granma listened in to everybody's conversations. It was a social outlet for an old woman living way out in the country.
So anyway I'm sittin' with Grampa one day when the phone rings; One long and one short. "Grampa, that's your ring! Why don't you answer it?"
"Oh hell, son. I put the damn thing in for MY convenience . . ."
In this modern day of smart phones that rule our lives and have us all 'on call' 24/7 it may be time to remember Grampa's words.
= new reply since forum marked as read
And you got a lot of that.
Your little stories are fascinating! They describe a way of life that has mostly disappeared.
