Toll Free?

The mere existence of this ringing device both pleases and annoys me! My home is no different then any other when it comes to the usage of a tool well known as the "Telephone." When thought about, it is a rather unique and interesting object. We string lines of wire across our cities like spaghetti for the ammusement of what? Us as meat balls? We carry cell phones to allow for our ever increasing mobility. We can be reached on mountain tops, across sea, in war zones and even while locked up or incarcerated. We view our phones as a "freedom". It doesn't matter where we are. We could be five miles away or five thousand and yet we have connection. We have call waiting, caller I.D., phones in our restrooms on our planes. Just about any where we can imagine. We desire this availability! In my own home, my phone bill costs more then my necessities like power or water. It is a service that I voluntarily pay a hefty bill for. What I find most entertaining though is that the telephone also has the ability to bring great joy or a complete dread at the sound of it's ringing. Maybe I should not admit this publicly but what becomes puzzling is that my calls are rarely answered. Yes, I admit that the majority of my callers find their way to "the answering machine." Rarely do I return calls. I screen through what I desire to answer or not to. The sales calls always ditched, the bill collectors to. A cherished few will recive a call back from me, some with a timely responce others may take longer. I am sure to pay my telephone bill monthly to be sure that my service is guaranteed. I want to know that the phone is available, accessable and here at all times as it seems other do also. Why is that? Why do we makes ourselves so accessable yet at the same time so unaccessable? Does it make us feel better to collect callers as though we are collecting votes? Does it make us feel loved and appreciated to see another reach out and seek to call on us? Maybe it is something bigger? Maybe it's the anticipation of that one special call to come? A caller like Ed McCmahn or maybe a lost love or a future friend? Maybe that one special call is different to each of us? What ever it be I am continually marvled at the capeabilities of this ringing in my ear. So, I will continue to put the check in the mail for another month of service. Even if it does make me feel like a meat ball.