Thursday, November 12, 2009

Ring, Ring Telephone Ring

Today is Themed Thursday and the word of the day is Telephone. Yes that thing that has evolved from something that hung on the wall or sat on a hall table to the thing we cannot be without.


We carry it with us everywhere. Heck I know people who carry it to the bathroom. Honestly I don’t want to talk to you if you’re busy in that way.


Thanks Wired.com for this visual

I remember as a child my grandmother had an old crank telephone hanging on the wall. When she passed away my family moved into her house and I would spend hours sitting on a stool pretending to be talking on that phone. I would crank it up and then say “Mabel, get me Orchard 457” then I would wait as if Mabel really was ringing OR-457 and then I would launch into a full fledge conversation “Ethel, how the heck are you? Oh yeah? They did what?” The rest of my family would sit in the family room watching television or sneaking snacks from the pantry while I sat carrying on my conversation. “What? In whose back yard? Why I didn’t even know that had a cow!” Yes I was quite the five year old conversationalist.


I would also listen to my parents conversations on another phone. The actual working phone which you no longer had to crank yet it still hung on the kitchen wall. Their conversations were short and concise. They said what they had to say, garnered the information they needed conveyed and politely rang off. As life changed so did our telephone habits. Conversations became more extended and we had more and more telephone solicitations.

My dad, Trooper Bob, had a special way in which to handle these calls and still does. The following is an excerpt of one of my father’s conversations.

Ring

TB: Hello?

Salesman: Is this Mr. Bob?

TB: Yes and you are?

Salesman: This is Barney with Stealem and Robem Investments and I have a wonderful opportunity for you.

TB: Barney? Is that really you? Where the hell have you been? They told me you up and died. Died deader than a doornail.  Heck I was at your funeral.  Did you see me there?

Salesman: Um, I’m Barney Bunkem, Mr. Bob. I work for Stealem and Robem Investments. I am calling to tell you about a…

TB: (Who has now began wailing into the receiver) God damnit Barney I’m so happy to hear from you. Here I thought I was never gonna get to talk to you again. Man it’s so good to hear from you. There were so many things I wanted to tell you. Hey did you hear me when I leaned over your casket and told you my secrets? Man you’re not going to tell anyone are you?

Salesman: Cough. Um Mr. Bob I think you have me mistaken for…

TB: Oh Barney, stop joshing with me I would know your voice anywhere.

Salesman:  heavy sigh then  Mr. Bob I’m not who you think.

TB: Hey Barney remember the time that we put that cow shit in a bag and set it on fire on Old Mr. Ham’s porch. Then we rang the door bell and ran? I thought I would split a gut watching that old man stomp out that fire. Stomping cow shit all over the place. Man I learned some words that night. An remember the time…

Salesman: Mr. Bob, I am calling from

TB: So have you ran into Mr. Ham? If you do would you apologize for me? I mean I am an old man now and would kinda like to go to heaven. You did end up in heaven didn’t you?

Click.

So you see the telephone my parents taught me can be a useful tool, a toy and a source of humor.

17 comments:

Barb said...

I love that story! My friend's dad would do something like that. He'd tell the caller that the person he was calling for had died. Then he'd start crying and carrying on. It was really funny.

Tom said...

i've always wanted to do that, or just carry on a conversation to waste their time for as long as possible. funny stuff!

Brian Miller said...

haha. that was amazing! i need to try that one next time i get a call. there are these comedians that record their answers to telemarketers...its a riot. the firehouse still has acrank phone and introduced my sons to it the other month...they just laughed. happy tt!

Kat Mortensen said...

I'm going to try that next time a telemarketer happens to get lucky and I answer the phone.

Mike said...

Acting insane gets them off the phone also. If you ask a female telemarketer what kind of panties she is wearing, she will usually hang up, and if she doesn't, you might be in for a good time! LOL!

Ronda Laveen said...

I see you learned your conversational skills from your father. He, a great teacher. You, a great student! Very funny.

Ronda Laveen said...

P.S. Love the side bar pictures of the pooches in their aqua costumes.

Wings1295 said...

Fun. Humor is ALWAYS needed! :)

JeffScape said...

Great story!

As an aside, that Blackberry in the toilet image reminded of a "bathroom incident" I had with my cell phone.

Let's just say I went ahead and got a new one.

♥ Braja said...

Hence the title, Gladys Speaks :))

Tracy said...

Another thing to do is when they ask how you are...TELL THEM! You could start with saying you have explosive diarreah(yea, I don't know how to spell it!)or go the other end(haha!) and say you haven't gone for three days...the possiblities are endless!!!

Jaime said...

i'd like to throw my phone in the toilet these days

Mrs4444 said...

Very funny story. My husband says, "Can you hold on a second?" and lets the phone lie there until they hang up.

Ed & Jeanne said...

Is it me or does anyone else think that old phone has boobs...

Baino said...

Haha fantastic. These days we just hang up.He sounds like quite a character.

Michael said...

Oooh, i love that phoen call. how ery very funny. Takes a whole new meaning to calls from "hell!" Hee.

Jill from Killeny Glen said...

OH! Now I like the way your Father thinks!!!
Totally entertaining!