My friend and Editor-at-Large, Verna Wilder, writes about her first job as an operator at The Phone Company in San Francisco. Verna always tells a great story. It wasn’t that long ago that long distance calls were exotic and expensive. Another friend of mine was telling me about being in college and how his uncle would allow my friend’s girlfriend to use his phone on Sundays so they could keep in touch. He said the thought of it would help get him through the week, and he wonders if college students today are missing something with their instant communications.
I’m still fascinated by the idea that by dialing a series of numbers, I can make a bell ring almost anywhere in the world. Yes, I’m easily amused. Of course now I don’t have to "dial" or punch buttons – I can just say the name of the person I want to talk to (assuming they are in my contacts) and I’ll be connected. Hmm, I think we’ve just come full circle, haven’t we?
