Ostomy Memories of the Telephone

WE ALL HAVE OUR BUGBEARS.  Mine is the telephone.  I know that it is highly irrational to hate an inanimate object, but I can’t describe my feeling any other way.  To me, it is nothing more or less than an obscene irritant, an intrusion into my otherwise calm, peaceful life.  Alexander Graham Bell can roast in hell, as far as I’m concerned.  I have long since done away with my landline, but my ever mindful spouse insisted that I keep a cellphone so that, if necessary while she’s out and about, she’ll be able to contact me.  The fact that, during my lifetime, the telephone has evolved from requiring switchboard operators and manual dials to its present advanced, over-achieving state where it fits in a shirt pocket, can be used almost anywhere, can take photographs, and can even tell law enforcement where you are if they’re looking, is an example of technological wizardry that depresses rather than excites me.  It is like Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is not only not human, it is not even sentient.  I don’t expect law enforcement ever to be looking for me, and I’m happy when they catch whoever they’re looking for, but just keep that damn interruptive obscenity now euphemistically called a telephone away from me.  

A necessary evil, Henry.

But I do like HF Radio, which I use in the outback. It allows me to phone up to 3,000 kilometers when out in the Australian desert. If I get into trouble, I can also use it to phone any mobile or landline in the world by using what's called HF-Tel and VKS-737 Outback radio. It's better than a Sterlite Phone and a lot cheaper.

By the way, Henry, did you know that in Australia we get all our Ostomy products free of charge and have for at least 30 years? Why hasn't America done the same? It's supposed to be a very rich country but cannot look after its Ostomy people. I am getting the opinion that America is not the big go-ahead country the rest of the world thinks.

Start getting all the people on here to contact their state governors. AND PUSH HARD, YOU HAVE TO.

You know, I was told people get addicted to their cell phones the same way people are addicted to nicotine. It's the same response in the brain. But as I type this from my phone and have had it glued to me for when my friend goes into labor and I need to get her toddler, I won't give it up until after that baby comes... well let's be honest I'm not giving it up.

Hi Henry, I got a cell phone back when there was only flip phones with a one-inch square screen. That was because my wife worried when I was out fishing on the big lake or deep in the woods hunting. She wanted to know I was safe if not home after it got dark. The funny part of it was that the phone was so weak and there were no towers within five miles. I was lucky to have any service.

I hate the telephone too, but it is a necessary evil. We cling to our landline and old-fashioned answering machine (not voicemail) and rarely answer the thing, thereby screening calls. If it's someone I want to talk to, I pick up. I have a cell for emergencies, travel, etc., (needed it in Europe in order to stay in Air B Bs). I think using it exclusively would be a pain in the butt, as I'd constantly be having to worry about keeping it charged. It's becoming more and more difficult to navigate daily life without one, which makes my blood boil, but I'm still fighting it.

Terry

Hi all. Well, my last cheapo phone, a Galaxy A10 from Samsung, died yesterday. So now I'm a proud owner of a Galaxy A53, which according to the young salesperson, is a real step up from the A10. But I know he was sorely disappointed I didn't go for the high-end S23 model that's about $1000 that he was raving about.