One ringy dingy

Now I realize that in today’s technological world we have the ability to avoid solicitous phone calls that were unavoidable in my youth.   When I was a kid you had no idea who awaited you on the other end of the line.  Now we just watch the TV screen and when the phone rings we automatically weed out all calls that say “caller unknown”.  I understand and it’s a great way to avoid talking to salesmen or anyone soliciting donations.  But at the same time………I miss the excitement of surprise.

I remember once when I was a kid the phone rang and my father answered.  “Simpson’s residence” my father stated when the phone rang followed by a short pause. 

“No thank you” my father said.

“No thanks, they’re just too ugly” my father responded matter- of- factly.

By now he had our full attention.  Who’s too ugly?

“No, we are all just too damn ugly, came my father’s reply once more followed by but we thank you for calling.”

By then we were all anxious to hear who he had been talking to. 

Finally our mother looked at our dad and asked, “Who in the heck were you talking to?”

My dad nonchalantly replied, “Olan Mills, they wanted to know if we wanted to have a family portrait taken.”