[2953] in Depressing_Thoughts
Re: where's the limit?
ckclark@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (ckclark@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Mon Apr 27 16:06:58 1992
Gee, I certainly haven't talked to (or at) my mother more than about a
total of 20 minutes in the past year or so. She sends me cards a lot
telling me how miserable she is, etc. I read them and throw them away.
Today I got a ``Get Well Soon'' card from her, even though I'm not sick.
Nice touch.
She leaves a message on my answering machine about once a week. I
listen to it and erase it. That's the price one pays for not living in
hiding; anyone can find out where you live and what your phone number
is. Even if you don't own a phone, you can always be contacted through
people who know you.
It's quite sad, actually. She calls and calls, as if she's actually
going to get to talk to me. But I never answer the phone; even if I am
there, I just let the machine pick it up.
\begin{rant}
This practice tends to confuse people who make a habit of calling ``to
see if you are there.'' If I want to talk to someone, I'll call them
back. If I don't, I won't. Occasionally I get calls saying, ``Please
call 1-800-555-5555.'' No. Why should I call someone who doesn't say
who he is or what he wants? Some guy claiming to be from the FBI left a
message on my machine once. He didn't say why. I erased it. Nothing
came of it. If God himself decides to leave a message on my machine, he
better damn well leave a statement of purpose, or else he won't hear
from me. And if it doesn't pique my curiousity, I'm likely to bitbucket
it anyway.
\end{rant}
