This most boring blog in the world is going to stay true to form today and bring the same boredom that makes and will keep it unknown.

Why do we have telephones?

I know, stupid question with what should be several obvious answers. Still, why does an individual have a telephone? Is it for the convenience of the owner of the phone, or the convenience of the person trying to get in touch with the owner of the phone?

I am firmly in the camp of the "I own my phone for my convenience" camp. If you call me, and I just really cannot answer right now, I will see that you called and get back to you as quickly as I possibly can. I expect you to do the same, I do not expect you to jump to serve me when you are otherwise occupied.

My Sweetie is firmly in the "I own my phone for the convenience of those who want to get in touch with me" camp. He believes it is your responsibility to answer no matter what else you might be doing, and that includes everything.

My father was a doctor. Phone calls could be important, even life or death. Still, the phone was for our convenience. When he was not on call, there was the doctor's exchange to pick up and direct the call to the person on call. Our private number stayed private, no matter how many times the chuckleheads at the private schools we attended insisted on publishing them against my parents' request in the school directory. They changed it every time that happened, because of course some of the kids at the school had moms who were patients of my dad, and the number was not for them to call with medical needs. If a medical need was that urgent, they needed to call for emergency services, not call the doctor's house.

Sweetie's father was a church pastor. Phone calls could be important, even life or death. His father drummed it into him that every call could be the vital call that meant someone needed help now. I agree that spiritual needs of your congregation are important, still I think you have to put your own family first. Back then, if someone was in the hospital dying and needed to see the pastor, and he didn't answer the phone, the friendly police officers were willing to go track him down for you.

I don't pretend to have the definitive answer. There are times when it is very important to me to get in touch with someone, and they just don't answer, and I have to graciously wait. There are times when someone probably feels like he or she needs me now, but I am driving, or in the restroom, or something, and that person needs to graciously wait.

I still say, if it is that much of a life and death situation, you should be calling 911, not me. Anything else, and you can give me a few minutes to get back to you.


Sad news alert, do not read if you are very sensitive: All 5 kittens had to be put down. They were going into septic shock, and it was the kindest thing to do.


Today is:

Bourguiba Harib Day, Turkey (Spelled Habib on some websites)

Fairy Washing Festival, Fairy Calendar (Do the fairies wash themselves, or is everyone supposed to wash his/her fairy?)

Feast of Caligo (The mother of Chaos)

Fiesta De la Colmena, Spain

Independence Day, Niger

National Watermelon Day

Minstrel's Gathering, Germany

Royal National Eosteddfod, Wales (Festival of literature, music, and performance, spelled Eisteddfod on some websites.)

St. Nicodemus' Day

St. Lydia of Phillipi's Day



Birthdays Today:

Martin Sheen, 1940
Tony Bennett, 1926
Elisha Graves Otis, 1811


Today in History:

Tiberius, Roman Empire general, defeats the Dalmatians at the river Bathinus, 8
Columbus sets Sail for the "Indes",departing from Palos, Spain, 1492
John Rut, at St. John's, Newfoundland, sends the first known letter from North America, 1527
Harvard defeats Yale in the first intercollegiate rowing race, 1852
Second Maori War begins in New Zealand, 1860