Skip to main content

Area codes

In a time when I didn't have a cell phone on me all the time (eleven years ago, to be exact), I remembered a lot of people's phone numbers. Even when we had to start dialing the area codes, it was easy because all of my friends lived in the 281-area.

Speed dial slowly came into my life, as did cell phones, and now I'm here with the following situation: I know my office's number, the Traffic Tip Hotline, various dispatchers' numbers, and my parents' home number off the top of my head. In regards to my friends, co-workers, sister, and the rest of my family, I don't have a clue what their digits are. Why? Because they're all stored in my speed dial on my cell phone.

There was a certain flow to remembering people's seven- or nine-digit number. That flow could be annoying at times, but if there was an emergency, I'd know exactly what to do. Now I'd be up a creek if my cell phone went dead. It's strange how much faith we put into these small electronic devices.

Comments

Jade Clark said…
I probably remember like 5 phone numbers (home phone - which we're about to be ride of, my own cell number, my husband's cell, Power FM's studio and office line - yep, that's it). The faster, slicker, fancier electronics get...the less we actually put our brain cells to good use (and though it's nice to have things so convenient, I don't really wanna be gettin' dumber and dumber, dang it).
Ted said…
Ain't technology grand?

Popular posts from this blog

Go Where You Wanna Go

It's been a year since I moved away from Lakewood, and even though I could relocate to a new place as a newly-single guy, I've chosen to stay where I am. I enjoy living in North Dallas/Richardson given its central location, being not too far away from places I have enjoyed going to in my fourteen-plus years living in Dallas County. Living in Lakewood for nine years was critical for me, but I am glad I don't have homeless people going through my garbage, my street getting shut down like it's Mardi Gras on Halloween night, and I don't have to answer to the not-so-friendly landlords who bought my old place. I have a new housemate moving in at the end of the month and I have many reasons to be excited as he's been a friend for many years. Couple that with a humongous  new record store opening in nearby Farmers Branch , shows to see, and a quick trip to Los Angeles for something very cool (for which I reveal at a later date) and I'm happy to say fall is sha...

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Catherine Wheel

Originally posted: Tuesday, August 29th, 2006 Despite managing to release five proper albums, Catherine Wheel was one of those bands that always seemed to slip past the mainstream rock crowd. Yes, they got some nice airplay in their day, but people seem to have forgotten about them. You may hear “Black Metallic” or “Waydown” on a “classic alternative” show on Sirius or XM or maybe even on terrestrial radio, but that’s about it. For me, they were one of most consistent rock bands of the ’90s, meandering through shoegazer, hard rock, space rock and pop rock, all while eluding mainstream pigeonholing. Led by the smooth, warm pipes of vocalist/guitarist Rob Dickinson (cousin of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson), Catherine Wheel featured Brian Futter on lead guitar, Dave Hawes on bass and Neil Sims on drums. They weren’t a pretty-boy guitar band, but they weren’t a scuzzy bunch of ragamuffins either. Though the band hailed from England, Catherine Wheel found itself more welcome on American air...

Socials

 Hey, everyone! You can find me on several other platforms: http:/ http:// themeparkexperience.substack.com http:// Instagram.com/ericjgrubbs http:// TikTok.com/@ericjgrubbs http:// threads.net/ericjgrubbs http:// ericjgrubbs.bsky.social Thanks!