LIFE | EMPATHY
Fighting An Epidemic of Loneliness, One Phone Call At a Time
Lessons learned after two years of calling my Gentlemen
“I’m going to call one of my gentlemen shortly,” I announce. “So I’ll be on the phone for a bit.”
My partner smiles. “I love that you call them gentlemen,” he says.
I guess it is kind of funny, but that’s how I see them. That’s how I like to position these men in my mind — as elders who deserve respect, who are more than some obligation, more than simply a “phone call.”
Since 2022 I’ve been a volunteer “caller” in the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Daily Call Sheet, a great initiative designed to fight the epidemic of isolation and loneliness facing seniors and the disabled.
The MPTF itself is for all individuals who once worked professionally in any portion of the motion picture or television industry — be they cameramen, script writers, makeup folks or actors — offering programs involving health, aging, assisted living, counseling and wellness.
