One of the fun (ironic use of word here) things about people chatting on their cell phones in public places, is that those of us who aren't part of the conversation get to listen to just one side of the story, and make assumptions about what is going on.
I was in a waiting room this morning, and while attempting to read a book, was so distracted by a one-sided conversation I couldn't help but overhearing, that I don't remember a word I read. A woman in her mid-60s, and with an obnoxiously loud voice with a strong South-in-the-mouth drawl, was informing the poor person on the other end of her phone conversation about all the horrible things going on in her family. One family member had died of a heroin overdose two years ago; another had loaned money to someone claiming to need it for tuition, but of course (I'm quoting here) "you know where it went...to WEED." The woman complained about another relative who was living with her boyfriend, and how her own sister wouldn't loan her any money, even though she "had $1600 to have a tree cut down at her house in Florida." This woman was apparently having trouble paying her bills, to which I wanted to point out that rather than borrow money from her Florida sister, maybe cutting back on cell phone usage might be a step in the right direction.
Oh, this woman was chatty, and obnoxious, and literally had a cloud of disappointment and misery floating around her. You could just feel the negativity vibrating from her...even across the room.
Either she was filling in her phone friend with the latest details from her favorite soap opera (which is what this all sounded like), or she truly can't find any single thing in her life to report to her caller that was positive.
Thankfully I didn't have to listen long, but her conversation obviously stuck with me. It makes me wonder what the person on the other end of the call was thinking. I hope whoever it was just tolerated her unpleasant phone call and got off the line as soon as gracefully possible.
Whatever happened to the good old days of the relative privacy afforded by phone booths?
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1 comment:
I find it very sad that ministers in churches, and directors of plays or symphonies have to beg people to turn off their phones, and yet people don't always comply anyway!! I'm very glad we have such devices, but our manners have deteriorated. AuntieA
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