Telephone Etiquette

The telephone was invented during my Grandparent's life.  Their generation viewed it with awe - "I'm gettIng a call!  How exciting!!"  During my folks's generation, it became  an essential tool of life, with its own personality - when it rang, you dropped everything and answered it.  There was excitement - who might it be?  Must be urgent - can't miss it.

My generation invented the answering machine.  The phone became controllable - one could "screen" calls.  This was right up a curmudgeon's alley.  Now we were getting somewhere!  No more did the phone rule our behavior - we could call that party back at OUR leisure, if at all.  But, as with all progress, there was a price - how long can you put off returning certain calls without insulting erstwhile phoners, like family members and such?  What is the proper etiquette?  Emily Post was dead - social chaos would certainly ensue.

Then came cell phones and caller ID.  Now we were cooking!  Complete control of the conversation - a curmudgeon's phone heaven, if you will.  But let's be honest, annoying calls still happened.

Well, I've just discovered the "Block This Caller" feature.  Yow.  Now the telephone is my ally, complicit in my personal phone etiquette shenanigans.  Go ahead, try calling me - you'll never know where you landed.