Ripples of Life

By Dan Barber

Like small ripples in the sea turning into massive tsunamis, or the butterfly flapping its wings in the butterfly effect causing a huge future change in nature, there are ripples in life which can affect life itself.

When I set at my computer writing something very profound and thought provoking in politics or journalism and the phone rings it destroys my train of thought which in turn destroys my profound mutterings and sets me off into something that I really hate… being angry. There is nothing I can do to resolve that anger because it’s nobody's fault but my own…I am now an old man with very little patience for pretty much anything caused by undue stimulation to my aged brain or reflexes.

I try to be understanding, but I get many robo-calls with a recording message warning me that this is the last chance I will have of consolidating all of my credit card debt into one easy monthly payment. To apply for this important service I must press one to speak to a representative right now, or to opt out press two. I have screened my calls to avoid answering those robo-calls and pressing two never stops them. I try to screen my calls but these crooks steal someone else’s number to counter the call screening defense. With my brain on hold engaged in writer’s block, I look at the phone to see who's calling but I don’t recognize the number or have any clue as to who would be calling me from Virginia, Maryland or Florida as I don’t know anyone from those states. I answer the phone in case it’s something important, but it’s not it’s just another recorded message. So now I press one as prompted so I can have a live person to scream at for interrupting my thoughts because pressing number two doesn’t work in stopping the calls or calming my rage!

It does no good to call the number back on the caller ID screen because the owner of that number is also a victim of these telephone sales crooks. And, it does no good apparently to sign up on the government-run national “DO NOT CALL” website, or complain to the Federal Trade Commission or the Federal Communication Commission or to any government agency because to ban robo-callers would also affect politicians use of such calls in their effort to raise campaign cash.

I could probably unplug my house phone or turn off my cell phone, but then I would worry about missing an important call or a call from a family member, wanting to know what I’m doing even though I’ve repeatedly told everyone that I know that I don’t like to take calls between 7 and 10 each morning because that’s when I write, and to please not to bother me unless it’s an emergency. But, I don’t want to be RUDE after learning that the call is not a life or death emergency so I will speak to whoever is calling me and wanting to know what I’m doing.

After 10 every morning I am usually a very nice old man, who might even run books, lunch money or PE clothes to forgetful grandchildren at school, who can’t reach their mother because she is screening their calls or not answering her phone because she is busy working.

If every person in the world would just press one as prompted by the recorded message for the option to speak to a live person, and then scream profanities at that person for interrupting their day, then maybe the crooked telephone sales people would get the message and stop calling people.

It is now nearly noon, I forgot about what I was going write about earlier this morning so anyone who reads my blogs will now not be bored with my mutterings. I have reverted back into being an easy going grandpa, so give me a call… anytime after 10 a.m.