I enjoy seeing the funny posts on Facebook showing the phones I grew up with, and their dials and long cords. One shows two young women trying to take a selfie with one of those attached oldies. I still remember getting my first cell phone and that it plugged into my dash and was so basic. My current wireless is a Samsung Knack, and no, it can’t take a selfie. I can’t access the internet with it either, it’s just a 911 phone as far as I’m concerned. I don’t like it when I get those robo calls and yes I’ve entered the number into the donotcall.gov freebie. A few sales people have found a way to bypass that neat aid. 

  I did see a bad phone usage going on in a doctor’s office today.  As we waited to be called back, I heard several people chatting away, and unfortunately one of them was ignoring the young child who wasn’t able to read but kept flipping through the latest issue of the Henry County Times as her adult caretaker kept talking. I’m glad my regular doctors’ offices all have signs about turning off your cell phone.  

  I’m glad the cell phones all have contact lists and that makes it easy for me to get in touch with family if we’re away from home and want to pass on some information. Of course I am NOT touching it while driving … and I never have. I made that vow with some of my Sunday school students years ago and I’m glad to know they still obey that as it’s now a law. Years ago, when I first became a mortgage loan officer, and before cell phones, we had pagers. If I was out calling on real estate agents, or on the way to one of our branches to meet a customer, I’d hear that little ding and know I needed to call the office. So I’d pull off at the next business district or mall, and find a pay phone.

  I still recall my Maxima dying on us in Dublin, Georgia and walking over to a phone booth to grab the big book and find a tow truck number. Soon a kind redneck showed up in his wrecker (that’s what we used to call a tow truck) and he grinned as he said he never had to tow a Nissan or a Ty-yota. His accent made me smile and he graciously invited us to sit in the front seat with him, along with two of our grandkids as he towed us to the local Nissan dealer. He took us inside and let the mechanics know we needed to be on our way to Tybee Island so could they please get it repaired. We were ushered into a nice waiting room with a vending machine, worn newspapers, and a pay phone. Of course I already had a company provided cell phone at that time but never took it with me unless I was on the clock. 

  I know I’ve mentioned how my cellphone came in handy when Norman had his heart attack at Mt. Bethel. I didn’t have to run down stairs to use the church phone, but just took out my cell! I enjoy watching our grandkids use theirs for mapping, to look up a car we’re curious about, or to check on the status of their latest tests. I did tell my pharmacy NOT to text me anymore when my prescription was ready as my elderly phone sometimes gets locked via a text. I wanted to send my brother an ancient photo I’d found of our grandmother and fortunately my tech-savvy daughter handled that on her phone. So, it’s not just a phone anymore, and, once again, I wonder … what’s next?

  Beverly Wittler has four children, eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. She lives in McDonough with her husband.