AS and telephones

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I too prefer using the phone to meeting in person, although I don't like talking on the phone all that much either.

When people call me (unless it's for business purposes) I almost never pickup. Instead I nerve mysef to call them back in a few hours or the next day. I exclusively use a cellphone (don't have a landline) so people assume I'm waiting to call them back when the call is free/discounted on my calling plan or that I'm on the road/busy. I love caller ID.

As a result, most of the calls I'm on are one's started by me after I've arranged everything just right (ie. fresh coffee at my side, dog walked so she won't disturb me, computer setup to run a scheduled task like defragging or downloading, etc.).

When I was in my early 20's (for my only formal office style job) I worked as a switchboard operator and I was very good at it...because I had a system for doing it that I enjoyed and I likened the formal greeting and relaying the calls and making announcements on the intercom to singing...and I am very singing-oriented

But in general telephones really intimidate me. I only have one close friend who I can stand to talk to, and I am in the routine of calling him regularly and then for lack of anything to say, I always ask him the same questions and we either proceed with a round of our nonsensical banter...or don't...and even though I enjoy it, I am constantly afraid of dragging the conversations on too longly and seldom feel relaxed doing it.

I really hate talking to stranger on the phone in general now, and I will avoid it whenever possible.

The other day I had a meltdown on the phone, and it was not pretty.

I'm fine with making calls out, I just hate it when my mom asks me to answer the house phone and its one of her friends or a stranger then i'm not sure what to say or I just run and pick up the phone and hand it to her because I don't want to deal with it.

Telephobic topic

Over the years I have less tolerance for it. If I need to use it, fine, but not to answer, unless I am worried regarding my children (if they have not checked in recently.)

It always seems to ring when I am busy. I would rather let the answering machine pick it up and then decide to answer or not.

it wasn't until i was into my late 20s that i realized that if the phone rang, i *didn't have to pick it up*! it was so liberating. now i have a cellphone set to a nature sound with caller id. if it's an emergency, friends know they can email or sms.

^ me