Calling Long Distance
Whether it’s important news about my car’s extended warranty, donation requests from the Fraternal Order of Police, or some twit telling me I’ve won a cruise to the Caribbean, the calls always end the same way—with me hanging up in under three seconds and wondering why the hell I still keep a landline phone.
Of course, these calls always come when I’m eating or watching one of my favorite TV shows, as if they’re working with some kind of special psychic software that tells them the exact wrong moment to dial in.
Now I do get a kick when my relatives ring me up on the landline and my phone's android tones methodically announces them, last name first, like they’ve just joined the army.
I was at working on deadline Friday when, naturally, the damn landline started ringing.
I waited to hear which particular zombie was choosing this exact moment to harass me when I saw the name “Solomon, Nathan” appear on the screen.
Funny name for a scam-bot, I thought as I picked up the phone.
The first thing I heard was the sound of a conversation already in progress.
The voices were distant, and I wondered if this was some kind of crossed wire situation like in Sorry, Wrong Number.
Maybe I’d hear someone plotting a murder…or at least a lot of juicy personal details I could snicker about.
I had just figured out that the voices were coming from a TV when a man came on the line.
“Hello…?”
“Yes,” I said.
"I didn’t get my food today.”
“I’m sorry,” I replied. “You have the wrong number.”
The man apologized and I hung up, thinking that was that, and got back to work.
Then the phone rang again moments later, and my phone said that Solomon, Nathaniel, was calling me for a second time.
It was same routine. First the TV voices, as if the caller was asking the weather guy to join in, followed by the tentative “hello…?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I didn’t get my food today.”
Don’t Hang Up
“Yeah, hi, it’s me again,” I said. “You’re calling the wrong number.”
I found myself getting annoyed. I was at work, damn it, I don’t time for all these interruptions.
But one of my resolutions for 2022 is to finally rein in my temper instead of getting twisted every time something doesn’t go exactly my way.
He repeated my number to me, but I assured him that he was calling a private house and that I couldn’t help him.
He apologized again, I hung up and got back to work, pausing for a moment to give myself a pat on the back for remaining calm.
I forgot all about the call until the next morning and this man’s words replayed in my mind.
I didn’t get my food today.
It occurred to me that Nathan Solomon sounded elderly, so maybe he was trying to connect with some senior citizens’ food program like Meals on Wheels.
Maybe he needs a walker or a wheelchair and can’t leave his house to go shopping.
I kept thinking about this old man, alone in his apartment with just the television for company, trying to get his food delivered.
I was unable to leave my house for several weeks after double-knee surgery a few years back and I had to rely on my local supermarket to help me out.
Maybe I should’ve been a little more sympathetic to Nathan Solomon’s problem.
Maybe instead of congratulating for myself for not throwing a hissy fit, I could’ve helped him find the correct number.
I’m sure I could’ve nailed it down on Google in under a minute. At least I could’ve tried.
I’ll be 65 years old this year, so how long will it be until I’m the one sitting in front of the TV trying to get food delivered?
This wasn’t a wrong number. This was a gift, an opportunity to show some kindness to a stranger who was obviously in need.
Too bad it went to the wrong person.
Nathan Solomon shouldn’t be apologizing to me; I should be apologizing to him. And, for what’s worth, I do.
I wish I had been more helpful. I’m sorry if I sounded impatient and I really hope your food was delivered.
And please free feel to call me anytime you like.
Comments
Hi, Bijoux. I hope he did too. I think we're all in a rush and mixed up in our own business that we often don't the world around us.
I'm going to use this as a learning experience to be more aware and compassionate.
Yes, you got that right, Rob! It's the same with my landline phone. In fact, I don't even have the ringer turned on because I only use that phone line for my Internet service. However, when I check the messages every other day, they are ALWAYS robocalls or hang-ups.
I've never received a call like the one you got with Nathan Solomon, the ones I get are solicitor's who are pushing their product.
Not only am I getting these calls on my landline, but my cell phone as well. At least with the my cell phone, I can block the numbers. I even get them in the form of texts. I got one the other day that said I had THREE viruses on my phone, but if I clicked on the link they texted me, it would clean my phone of the viruses. YEAH, RIGHT! I blocked the number and then deleted it. Do these people actually think we are stupid enough to believe these things!?!
As Bijoux said in her comment, I'm not sure I would have done anything different than you did. We get tainted by all non-legit calls.
Have an awesome week, buddy!
Yeah, I'm getting cell phone robo calls too. What a pain in the neck. Good move deleting that bogus virus nonsense. Apparently some people fall for these things.
Tainted by the non-legit calls is a great to put it. And it's something we need to resistance. We can't let the machines take away our humanity.
Take care, buddy!