Ring… Ring… Ring… It’s still ringing as I jump up from the chair, where I was relaxing and enjoying the last rays of sunshine before the “Dreaded Season” arrives. Finally in the house, heart racing, pulse pounding and trying to catch my breath, I find that the caller hung up before I get to the phone, abandoning me to an afternoon of wondering: who was it and why were they calling? Was it an important call, a telemarketer or just a gabby friend?
I’m not in the mood for talking to a gabby friend (listening rather than talking is what it usually means!), definitely not in the mood for a telemarketer but wondering if the call could have been important.
Caller ID to the rescue! Although “Mysterious Privacy Invader” hung up before revealing who was calling, perhaps Caller ID registered the number and would “spill the beans” as to the person’s identity.
Happily it did register the number, which I immediately recognized as belonging to one of my children. Spirits quickly rising, I redialed the number.
“Oh, Mom, sorry about that. I hit your number by mistake. ‘Can’t talk now; I’m at a meeting. ‘Talk to you soon.” Click.
And so ended a roller coaster of feelings, ranging from irritation to anticipation, turning to doubt, then anxiety. Finally to discovery and finally, to disappointment. I was so happy when Caller ID told me who the call was from. But I was not the intended recipient of the call after all. I was nothing but a mistake.
But the lesson I took from this experience had nothing to do with the phone call. The lesson was, “I’d better get back to working out. I shouldn’t be struggling to take a breath just from getting up and rushing anywhere. The ringing phone should not cause me to practically wheeze to reach it.”
And with that admonition to myself, as the warmth and sunshine gave way to chilly breezes and foggy fall weather I dejectedly trudged downstairs in slow motion, one boring, tedious step at a time to the work out room to exercise.
MorristownMemos 
Comments on: "INTERRUPTION" (8)
Interesting how our lessons come to us, isnt’t it. Good for you for following through 🙂
Thanks, Fransi, whatever it takes…
I look at phone calls like this, Ronnie…, and family and friends know that if I don’t answer :
1. I’m in the bathroom
2.I’m in the shower
3. I’m outside working in the yard
4. I’m busy
If you don’t feel like leaving a message on the machine, you shouldn’t have called me in the first place. They all know I answer my messages…, eventually ! 🙂
If I don’t answer the phone friends and family know that:
1) I’m in the midst of a photo shoot for the cover of Vogue magazine
2) I’m jetting away to Bora Bora
3) I’m at an important meeting deciding where the next presidential debate should be held.
So whatever they’re calling about better be important!
It’s always those small events that encourage us to make some big changes in our lives.
Interesting comment, Bev. You’re right, although I hadn’t thougnt of it that way.
Let the machine answer it. Don’t take time from sunshine!
Why didn’t I think of that?