“Pardon me, but there’s someone on the phone who says they have a call for you.” There’s a call to tell me I have a call?” he asked with heavy skepticism.”
What? Where is that woman? Okay, I am here. I woke up far later than usual, and I just took my time reading the papers then I went on-line to complain to AT&T about a bill . By the time I got a real person I was livid, but she was wonderful. All my gripes were erased, and I even got a new phone out of the deal. Life is good!
Today is a perfect day. It is sunny and 69˚ and will get warmer by the afternoon. Poor Henry has nothing to bark at as the day is just so very quiet.
The first phone I remember had no way to self-dial. You had to tell the operator what number you wanted. On the front of the phone was a round circle with our number inside it. That phone had the party line I’ve mentioned before. Mrs. McGaffigan was quick to know we were listening. I guess our giggling gave it away. The next phone had a rotary dial. You just put your finger in each of the holes which had the number you wanted. There was a silver bar like thing which stopped your finger from going further. Once you reached the stop you let go, and the dial went back to the original spot so you could dial another of the numbers. I loved the sound of the dial going back.
I have an old princess phone with a dial. It is in the closet of no return which means I’ll probably never find it among all the stuff in that closet. The phone is yellow.
When I lived in Ghana, I once called my parents from Accra. I had to set up the call a day ahead at the international communications building. The process was sort of neat. There were booths on one side of the room. When I arrived the next day, someone told me what booth to go into as my call was ready. I heard the operator from Ghana pass the call to an operator in England who passed the call to someone in White Plains, New York who then dialed my parents number.
The last time we went to Ghana, Bill had his phone and bought a SIM card and some minutes from a mobile company. He sent photos and spoke to his family. I used his phone to call mine as well. I wonder what they use that old international communications building for now.
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August 26, 2019 at 10:33 pm
Hi Kat,
The earliest telephone I remember was a metal black desk model with a very loud rotary dial. The phone was centrally located in the hall sitting on a table with a chair and we didn’t have a party line.
Today’s young adults have no idea what a rotary dial is, nor a pay phone, nor a phone booth. When we moved to Texas in 1953 my mother would call her mother once a week. She had to dial the long distance operator to make the call, it used to cost money by the minute for long distance calls. When my dad traveled he would signal my mother that he made it to the next city. He would call the operator and make a collect call to my mother. My father would use a fake name and my mother would refuse the call. She then knew my dad had arrived safely without a long distance charge. 🙂
Today we hit 102 degrees again under clear skies. I guess we are making up for the mild June and Juky. Mild of course means no triple digit temperatures.
August 26, 2019 at 10:41 pm
Our first phone was also black but had no dial on the front. You had to tell the operator the number you want. That one had a party line until my parents switched to a single line.
I remember that making long distance calls after 10 were much cheaper. That was when I’d make calls home. I like the rotary dial phones. They were actually fun to use.
The warmer it got today was 68˚. Right now it is 58˚ and could get down to 54˚, perfect for sleeping.
August 27, 2019 at 12:49 pm
The first phone I remember was grey and with a rotary dial too. All phones back then were either black,white or grey but later on I do remember red ones as well. It wasn’t until a few years before they privatized the telephone company that we could get any kind of phone, I remember the one looking like a hamburger was quite popular 🙂 🙂 🙂
It is so much easier now days. Now we can even bring our phones to all of the EU and not have to pay any more. Just a few years back and brining ones phone while travelling could cost a fortunes.
Hot, hot, hot today and tomorrow thunderstorms they say.
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 28, 2019 at 4:12 pm
Christer,
I think when the rotary dial came out the phones had colors. You could also choose a wall model or one with a long cord you could move with you. The first mobil phones were huge.
I just got a new phone, and to use it in Ghana, all I have to do is change the SIM card. It will be with me on my next trip. It is only an iPhone 7, but it was free so I’m just fine with a 7.
It rained a bit earlier, and since then, the sky has been dark and menacing. I have my lights on.
Have a great day!