Just Pick Up the Phone!

Why am I so bad at making phone calls? We have a land line, and I have a cell phone. It's certainly not physically difficult for me to get to a phone and "dial" a few numbers. (Yes, when I was a child, our phone had an actual dial!)

I had things to talk about this week. A friend took a trip and I wanted to travel vicariously. I got a freelance proofing project and had lots of stuff to share with my girlfriends. But did I call them? Noooooo. There's something inside me that always says, "Oh, don't bother them. They could be busy." How silly is that? These women would have no problem telling me that it's not a good time to talk. I think most people will freely tell you if they're in the middle of something, especially when you start the conversation with something along the lines of, "Do you have a minute?" or, "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

I'm pretty sure I've been like this since I was old enough to use the phone. In high school, I don't remember being the type to call my buddies and spend an hour on the phone each evening. Of course, there was a 15-minute limit on calls at our house. And my brother and his sweetie were usually on the phone anyway. :-) My sister and I have been known to talk for an hour or more in one sitting about nothing in particular. But I've never been good at initiating the call. There's just something in my subconscious that prevents me from picking up the phone without a specific question or bit of information to share.

For better or worse, I'm a big fan of the more "modern" forms of communication. I'll send a quick text message, just to touch base or when I see something that makes someone cross my mind. If I have more to say, I'll send an e-mail, which gives me a chance to do sort of a rough draft and make sure everything's right. Then the recipient can read it when they're ready, respond if they want to and when they're able. (Oddly enough, I was never good at actual pen-and-paper letters. Couldn't find a good way to make small talk in writing.)

I guess I need to change my perspective. Rather than thinking I don't have a particular reason to make a call, I should see it as a chance to show that I care or that I was thinking of you. It's not intruding...it's staying connected to people that matter.

Is anyone waiting for a call from me?