Loving Telephones

Once Again!
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I packed very little when I headed off to meet my Quilt Groups last week.  I love a theme that can revolve around one hands-on prop.

The Rotary Phone
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I had lots of game suggestions that we could have played with this phone. But none were needed.  In all 5 groups I just allowed the phone itself to inspire.  I was amazed at how many folks informally reached for the phone and playfully began to talk. One woman laughed and said she was calling her boyfriend. She carried on quite a while. Another humorous phone talker pretended she was answering a phone call from Santa Claus... another got a call announcing her lottery win! Many just lifted the heavy receiver and sighed and smiled or enjoyed dialing, as they remembered stories.

At the Alzheimer's facility,  Mrs. L was pretty determined, claiming she needed to call home.  I knew her well enough to know the "act" would be more satisfying than frustrating, so I encouraged her with gusto.  "I'm ready to go home!"  She spoke firmly into the mouth piece.  "Well done!" I said as she hung up with a grin.

The sweetest call in that group was when Mrs R. decided she would call her husband in heaven.  Sometimes I'm more cautious with my higher functioning friends who are aware that a loved one is no longer with us.  "Okay, that sounds good..." I began.  "But we're only making happy phone calls today. So make sure he knows what a good time we're having around this table!"  Whew. I lucked out.  Her quick little call was light and sweet.

The Old Toy Phone
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This wobbly, antique toy prompted a few memories and ooohs and ahhhs.  It reminded many of talking into a big wooden wall phone.  Jeanette remembered being at her grandparent's house and answering one of those phones to learn that her baby brother had been born!

The toy phone was too small for good pretending, so I turned attention to one of my favorite Mom photos instead.  

I laughed about my mom being a big phone talker when I was growing up. Others talked about their families and phones... the house rules and the biggest users... But most of those stories were from later years.  More than half of the folks in all my groups, remembered when their family didn't own a phone.  

Henrietta said her family went down the street to a neighbor's,  if they had to make a call.  Ramona was young when she got a job cleaning houses.  She was alone cleaning, when the phone rang.  She laughed as she described her confusion. She had never used a phone and had no idea what to do. 

A Few Princesses!
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Most of the seniors are a generation older than me, but we have much in common. None of us had phones in our bedrooms growing up. 

We chuckled over the miniature Princess model, which would have been my dream phone.  Nancy said she had one in later years and Nathaniel said his little sister got a job just so she could save up and buy a pink princess phone.

The Cheapest Phone
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Most of us remembered at one time or another making "tin can phones".  Our Styrofoam version worked well enough. Even though we could hear voices fine across the quilt, a few nearly jumped in their seats when they realized the sound really was coming through that piece of string!

Phone Booth Talk
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We all recalled phone booths, but few of us remembered that they used to actually advertise them!

Where Are they Now?
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We wondered where you could even find a phone booth or pay phone today.  I showed a photo of a phone booth I found in a yard in Comfort, TX with a mannequin inside. ​

 We began to brainstorm uses for phone booths.  No one in any of the discussions remembered being a part of the phone booth craze in the fifties.  22 was the documented record in 1959.  Most everyone remembered how useful a phone booth was for Clark Kent!

Telephone Operators
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I had about 5 women who had stories of being switchboard operators.  Nancy remembered what happened when direct dialing was introduced. "People suddenly had huge bills they couldn't pay. There was no one to remind them that they had to pay for those long distance calls!" 

Lucy had been an operator for an Army base.  She took one call that came in as "Priority".  She laughed that she got quite an earful from an angry woman who was trying to reach a serviceman.  The woman did a little venting, like many other callers.  "He is the father of my child!"  

Telephone Poles
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This photo conjured up good and bad memories.  One woman shared the story of her brother having to rescue a man who got electrocuted while working on the phone lines.  Another told about riding in the car as a child and lazily counting the poles.  I read a poem to one group titled, Telephone Poles.  The rhythm of John Updike's words had the same sort of the hypnotic effect that pole counting probably had. I may have put a few to sleep.

Gossip on the Phone
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Everyone had something to say about phone gossip after an image of Norman Rockwell's, The Gossips.  We had funny stories of party lines and all the problems. Mr. J had to explain to a young staff member who had joined our group, just what a party line was.  The young woman could not believe that he had 8 households connected to his family's party line!

​Tiny Phones
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​These miniature phones spurred on one conversation about small phones today. So many talked about the frustrations of modern cell phones and bad etiquette, of many people who use them.

Henrietta held up the brand new I-phone that ​her children had given her.  "Oh I just hate it. It has a computer and everything else in it. But all I know how to do is answer it."  So many wished we could go back to the old dial phones.

Phone Mishaps
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I remember my mom reading this poem about an elephant and the phone.  The words of the poem are as tangled as the elephant's trunk and phone cord.  We heard a few stories about long cords causing some funny scenes... but no injuries.  
Nancy shared a phone injury story that luckily amused her now.  She described the large ottoman she lounged on 

while she jabbered away, underneath the phone nook that was built into the wall.  I could just picture her as a young girl,  gabbing on and on while she continuously shifted position on her cushion... until she managed to tip over on the ottomon and the heavy phone came clunking down, breaking  both of her brand new front teeth.

Phone Books 
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For a short while we brainstormed all the clever uses for a phone book, besides helping us find numbers.   This is the kind of  "game" that delights some of the most creative folks. 

But my dear fun and feisty, Dot put a halt to the nonsense.  "Now what are we doing this for!"  She shook her head and seemed clearly annoyed.  Luckily I always have a little something for everyone.  "Here you go, Dot! " I laughed back.  I switched on the I-pod speakers to play a recording of the Andrew Sisters singing, The Telephone Song.

The voices of the Andrews Sisters did the trick for Dot. She leaned back in her chair to listen. A smile replaced Dot's scowl, while the music changed the mood for all.  Dorothy was reminded of a time when the

Andrews Sisters were probably at their peak. "Oh I remember the most special call I ever received."  Dorothy began.  "It was Thanksgiving and we were all seated around the table when the phone rang."  It was her husband on the line.  He had just returned to the States after 2 years of service during the war. Dorothy, who is one of the most positive of all who gather at the quilt, pushed to keep her story upbeat, but her voice caught and she paused.  "For 2 years we wrote every day, but I hadn't heard his voice in all that time." She described the emotions she felt when they spoke. "But Jim didn't have time for me to get emotional." She smiled. "He said there was a long line behind him, waiting for their turns on the phone. " 

What Did I Learn?
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I learned to take a risk and let people lead more.  Sometimes I try too hard to guide and control and keep things from getting too sentimental.  It's pretty clear that I'll soon forget about our phone book discussion. It's the sweet stories that I will remember. 

The stories filled my head with images and Dorothy's created a double image.  Like a split screen, I can first picture Dorothy in the phone, with the family listening from the table.  And then I see her husband, in uniform, with an anxious line behind him.  I imagine he had just as hard a time as Dorothy, holding back his emotions.