Geenschaap

Mobile phones 

I grew up in a house with no telephone at all, at least during my younger years. I remember going to the nearby post office with my mother where there was a public phone whenever my mother wanted to call some one. And that happened not often. But eventually my parents decided to get a landline telephone. I thought it was a marvelous bit of technique. But with it came this urge, the urge to pick up the horn when it was ringing. Some one needed to talk to one of the household and they can't be left waiting to long, or even worse, letting the call to be unanswered. This was also one of many conditionings i was subjected to.
Years later when i was living on my own i thought that i needed a landline telephone. Again years later i thought i needed a mobile phone. Soon i got rid of the landline telephone, at least i didn't think i needed both! With that mobile phone the conditioning of picking up when it rang was even stronger, i picked it up whenever and wherever i was. I never realised that it actually can be very rude to others to just pick up the phone while being in the presence of others. But hey, everybody else does it too, it seems to be accepted. Later my wife pointed out that it's not acceptable behaviour. (my wife is very good in pointing out how much i am conditioned) After thinking about it i realised two things. Yes, it is rude to just pick up a call when in the presence of others, especially when being in a conversation. And i asked myself why do i need to pick up the phone when called? Can't i just decide for myself whether i want to talk with some one on the phone or not? Can some one demand to speak with me whenever they want it? Isn't it an intrusion of my privacy? Yes, it is, and my privacy is my own. Whenever the phone is ringing i look on the display who it is and decide wether to pick it up or to let it go. Sometimes i don't even bother to look who it is, especially when i'm doing something. They can leave a voicemail if it's important. When i'm not at work my phone lies on my desk at home and doesn't come with me whenever i go out. And yes, i'm probably one of the very few who dare to go out without a mobile phone, at least for someone of my age and younger. It's nothing to worry about, as before i ever had a mobile phone i went out without a worry too. It's actually quite relaxing. Oh, and i never got into texting. I never was interested in a smartphone or iphone or whatever mobile devices with millions of functions there are. No apps for me or mobile internet.

Life without a demanding phone. Life can be so simple.