How it was and How it is now

Let's go back in time for a few, shall we? I say about 20-25 years. Now, my kids would say that's a LONG time ago. Not so much for me anymore.

Remember back in the day those nifty land line phones? You know, they were attached to the wall and you could only go as far as the cord would let you? Yeah, good times. I remember in our first home when I was growing up, having one phone. The cord wasn't really that long and I would spend my time chatting with friends sitting in a chair at the kitchen table or laying on the floor there in the hallway. I LOVED when there was a phone with a super long cord. You could twirl that line and play pretend jump rope while talking or wrap yourself like a candy cane and unwrap yourself a thousand times during a conversation. We moved into a new home when I was twelve and my parents put a phone jack in MY ROOM. That was like the most awesome thing EVAH. Until it got taken away. On a regular basis. (I was that kid.) That was about the time we moved on from the rotary goodness to push buttons. I remember the first phone I had in my room was push buttons, but it was still "rotary". It would make that schticking noise after every number and you would have to pause between numbers to make sure they all went through.

Best thing about those land line phones? You always knew where the dang phone was at all times. No hunting down a missing handset or pressing the paging button and playing marco polo all over the house looking high and low. Landlines never lost charge, either. That's why I still keep a land line phone in my bedroom. I can't tell you how many times I hear that dreaded beep in my ear letting me know my battery is low when my conversation is nowhere near finished. I then head to my room to lay across my bed in old fashioned teenage style and finish talking.

My kids have no idea. None whatsoever. All they know is that they can talk to whom ever they please at any time because if their phone doesn't have charge, then someone close by will have theirs charged and good to go. It's amazing how much a lifestyle can change in just 20 years.

Neighbor Debbie and I talk on the phone quite a bit. Back when I was living in Southeast Georgia, we were on the phone one day when a bad storm came up. One of us mentioned how we needed to get off of the phone before we got electrocuted. Then the other one of us pointed out that we were on cordless phones. After we finished laughing, we recounted growing up and how you weren't allowed to talk on the phone during a storm because you truly could get electrocuted if lightning hit the ground it traveled up the line to your ear. I actually know of someone this happened to back in the day. It then became a long standing joke between us and I almost want to think we make a point to talk on the phone during storms now just to prove we can't get electrocuted through the cordless wonders we are speaking.

Yesterday, we had a bad storm here. A while later, I happened to be on the computer and was checking the weather. I noticed the storm was then in her area and looked like it was just as bad as when it was visiting us earlier. I jumped up and sent the following text message:

"HEY! don't touch the phone...it's stormin' outside!!"

A few minutes later, I got this reply:

"OMG then why did u text me. I could of gotten kilt that way too!!!" (uh..kilt = killed)

I then started laughing because we're just so stupid. Paige was at the kitchen table doing some school work and asked what was so funny. I then told her and she just looked at me. Said not a word. Shook her head and went back to work.

I had no choice but to send this text:
"just so you know...paige thinks we ain't right"

Ahhh....this poor generation. What fun things they've missed out on. I used to leave my house and not have any contact with my parents until I got home. I don't know how they let me go like they did. I asked The Man if he could imagine sending our kids out for the night without a cell phone. His reply? "I can only because we did it. Will they be allowed to go out with out a cell phone? No." Good answer, my man. 

If the good Lord blesses me with another twenty years? I can't wait to see what modern marvels today's generation will come up with for us to enjoy!

P.S. Now I'm tempted to go get a land line phone to put in the kitchen with a looooong cord on it for old time's sake.