P- Person you last called (#atozchallenge)

"Kellogg" brand "candle stick" style telephone from c. early 20th century. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Person you last called...

       I don't call people like I used to.  The answer to this question is easy--the last person I called was my sister Joy.  She is among the handful of people that I still call on a regular basis.  I call Joy usually at least once each week just to catch up with what's happening in her life and with the rest of the family.   Actually the other night when I called her, my other sister Joni answered the phone which was nice because I hadn't talked to her for a few months.   She moved in with Joy earlier this year.   Usually Joy answers the phone though.  Like me, Joy is retired and it's pretty easy to reach her.

        I used to call a number of my friends on a regular rotating basis.  They rarely called me--I called them.  And eventually I stopped calling them.  Except for my long time friend Marvin who is also retired.  We talk mostly about politics these days which is kind of fun and he's one of the few people I know who is willing to discuss politics.  We talk politics and movies and sometimes about old friends and life in general.  It's good to have someone to talk to now and then.

        It's probably time for me to make some calls to some other friends to see how they've been doing.  Due to the time difference between me and them it's sometimes hard to know the best time to call.  Some of them still work and others, well, I'm afraid I'm going to bother them.  After all, when we have families, jobs, and other things going on it can be disruptive to get a phone call.  Maybe I shouldn't think that way about old friends.

          Maybe I need to start making some phone calls again.

           Are there any special phone friends that you talk to on a regular basis?   As you get older do you feel less inclined to call people for fear of interfering with whatever they may be doing?   How do you stay in touch with friends and family other than calling on the phone?

Memoir Research Via Telephone

SingTel phone booth (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   
      Remembering is often a difficult task.   We can sift through scrapbooks, photo albums, and other memorabilia in order to gather information about family histories, but occasionally more details are needed.  Sometimes those who might know best are no longer with us and cannot be asked to recount stories and other data needed to fill in blanks, but there is always help even if you live far from old family home places.

        Long distance phone calls used to be an expensive affair, but now most of us have calling plans that allow for unlimited long distance calling.  If we know a phone number--and those numbers are often very easy to find if we don't have them already--we can call relatives, friends and others who can help us find out more about our family history.

        Some folks are a bit hesitant to call strangers or people they may not have talked to in years, but in reality it's usually not all that bad.  I may have an edge on some in that I spent many years in a job that required me to call people on a regular basis.  Sure, I was nervous about it at first, but what's the worst the person you're calling can do to you?  After all they can't even see you and if they don't want to talk to you it's not the end of the world.

         I've found that most people are more than willing to chat about themselves and the things they've experienced in their past.  Often you'll find yourself getting more information than you ever expected.  And some of that info can be downright interesting.  The stories from others can take you to places you never imagined and provide unexpected details.  A good story-teller can hold your interest and provide you with research data that you're looking for.

         If you're writing memoir, don't forget those far away people who know part of the story you might need to make the story you're writing more complete.  You might just be in for an entertaining as well as educational conversation.   And you might also be making new friends or rekindling old relationships that are as good as gold.

          Do you like to talk on the phone?   Have you ever called a friend or relative who you haven't spoken to in ages?   Have you ever called someone you've never met in order to retrieve some research information?  How did your conversations go?

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