At one time, I really thought that the phone was a wonderful thing.  When the cell phone came out, even better.  But it would seem that, as with all wonderful inventions, they can be good or bad.  A hammer, when used to drive a nail, is a wonderful thing.  When used for murder, not so much.

Okay, I agree.  I overdid it, not a little but a lot.  However, sometimes the extreme is a good thing when illustrating a point.

I have heard that Alexander Bell, the inventor of the phone, would never answer his phone during dinner.  As I think it over, maybe that was a good idea, whether he did or not.  The old door to door sales man has been replaced by the telemarketer.  No one seems immune.  During a recent visit to my doctor, he got two robo-calls.

I’m sure they are much more of a bother to him than to me.  Yet, he must answer.  It just might be an important call.  We have all somewhat become a slave to the wonderful invention.

It is quite common for me to receive phone calls from Memphis offering to buy my house.  I don’t live in Memphis.  Don’t want to sell my house.  I must have something to keep the rain off me.  Maybe roofs aren’t so important in the desert of Arizona, but here in the Mid-South; they are something of a necessity.

I think the worst thing about phones is that they have virtually destroyed the face-to-face relationships, both socially as well with business relationships.

The other day, I went to answer my cell phone and when I touched the thing in the wrong way, it displayed the internet screen.  I rarely use the phone for internet, only when I can’t get to a computer.  The screen is too small for my 73 year-old-eyes.  It is common with my not-so-smart phone.

So as the phone continued to ring, I continued to fumble.  I easily got rid of the of the internet screen, but there were no buttons to answer the phone.  So.  I missed the call.  Just as well.  It was a telemarketer.  But what if it was that guy that wanted to give me a million dollars?  I think I would have been very angry with that phone company and the character that designed that stupid phone, the one they call a smart phone.

So.  Today I went down to the store where I bought the phone.  I told the sales person there I wanted to drop the line.  I have a good flip phone that works much better for my purposes.  He said that he couldn’t do it.  I had to call customer service, on the phone.

So much for face-to-face service.  Of course, if I wanted another phone, they would have had me all set up in roughly twenty minutes.  I would have walked out of the store with a new working phone, a smart phone that would really be dumb.  They don’t carry the flip phones.  They have to be ordered.  Takes 7 to 10 days to get it.

Soon after getting home, I called customer service.  I explained that I wanted to drop the line and why.  The lady I was speaking to hadn’t an idea what I was saying.  She immediately started trying to say she might be able to reduce the price of my service.

I explained I wanted the line deleted, like right now.  “Sorry.  Can’t do that.”  Better to talk face-to-face.  They obviously did not want to lose the line.  After I reminded her that there are many other cell phone services, she stopped that ploy.

Still, in about a year, when I no longer have to pay penalties, I just might go to another service.  I am currently paying 200 a month.  I think I just might be able to find somewhere that will provide pretty good service for 50 or less.  Still.  Push-come-to-shove.  I am going to have to admit to it.  The days of talking to a person, face-to-face are gone.  In essence, the corporations have decided to use the hammer for something other than a nail.