Hello?

Is somebody on the line ?

I might be dating myself here, but who remembers the party line?

When I was growing up, we had one phone in our house. It hung on the kitchen wall and had a long stretchy cord that attached the hand piece to the rotary dialing piece.

You could make it over to the sink to do the dishes or around the corner into the living room, where you might plop into the recliner and put your feet up. Or, you might just slouch into the kitchen chair positioned under the phone and hope nobody noticed you gabbing away.

And if all of this lack of privacy for your 8th grade true love conversation wasn’t unjust enough, the phone line was shared with another household!

No Lie!

Somebody somewhere else in town could, and often did, pick up their phone and listen in. Eavesdrop! Hear things not meant for their ears.

If they wanted the line, they would ask you to end your call.

I think we shared our line with an elderly woman. She was probably at least 49. Heaven knows I was pretty rude. I had no patience and would pick up our receiver every 30 seconds to see if she was off the line. I am quite sure there was a scolding from her and/or my parents for my lack of manners.

Now everyone carries a phone in their pocket or purse. There are few concerns about privacy as we broadcast our thoughts and photos, hoping the world will see us. Hear us.

Does anybody else find this ironic?