Apparently I am an unfit parent, having denied my oldest son (a tweenager) his "constitutional right" of having an iPhone -- or at the very least a cell phone. Of course he persistently asks, "when can I get an iPhone," and I say, "when you can afford one." Caution is self-advised because this is the one of my sons that could find a way to either earn or acquire the money.
It's a tough fight because at any moment one of his friends will pull a phone from a pocket to text or call another mutual buddy É who also has a phone. I get it, he feels left out of the loop and a lack of independence. But just how plugged in does a kid need to be? Seriously, there are kindergartners running around with iPhones while I've still got a Razor!
Okay, okay, my brothers and I had a kids' line when we were growing up. Granted, it was more of a convenience for Mom and Dad to not have to answer the rapid-fire phone calls of teenagers. I will also admit to falling asleep while on a few late night phone calls with my high school girlfriend. My recollections of sickly-sweet, teen-angst-filled pillow phone talk could only cause a critical shortage of airsick bags.
But the whole subject also brings to mind things like phone etiquette. My wife shocks our sons with dinner conversation about telephone rules from back in the day, such as girls never ever calling boys. Nice girls just didn't do that. There were also courtesies, such as never calling before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. unless it was very important. And when calling someone, you only let the phone ring 6 times. Anything more was considered rude.
Caller ID has made the harmless prank phone call virtually extinct. So I will skip to Information. Yes, dialing 411 was really for information where you got a phone number, address, or a zip code from an operator who actually lived in and knew your town.
In college I worked for AT&T, researching a marketing project for international long distance. I learned that even well into the 80s, there were communities in valleys throughout the mountains that still relied on analog switchboards with live operators connecting calls with plugs from one extension to another on large panels. That was only 30 years ago and I bet some of those switchboards only recently were phased out.
Still available are party lines -- or shared phone numbers. You might share the line with someone on the other side of your neighborhood. My grandmother had one at her farm. You simply listened for your specific ring. I think hers was 1 long and two short. And if you wanted to call out, there was a 50/50 chance it was already in use. For urgent calls you asked them to clear the line and they were honor-bound to hang up.
While I'm sure this all this fascinates my son and inspires his riveted attention, he is not dissuaded. "So when can I have an iPhone?"
Copyright 2009 by David Falloure
