As I branched out, left home for college, any time I called home I had to wait in line, two phones for 75 people on the floor. All long-distance charges. Hi, how are you, what are your grades, OK do better next week. Bye.
In a universe vastly different we have all-inclusive cell plans plus Skype so when we were living outside the country we could call in for two cents per minute! My mother always kept conversations short, as short as they were in the 1940’s when “long distance” was a luxury.
She still did, and most of my family does as well. My brother and I can talk a bit and have some great conversations about politics and lots of things, but those conversations have become rarer.
While monetary considerations were not really the reasons for my family keeping conversations short, the danger of overcharges should be a concern to my mother-in-law who makes every cent count. No, luckily we both have plans that allow an hour or so of uninterupted banter. I never liked the phone. Calling a girlfriend a block away who I’d just seen was foreign to me, even in high school.
We now live at least 1,000 miles from any family, so phone and email have become much more important. Visiting is always best but not always practical in this economy.
Spending 1 1/2 hours on the phone is a first for me. Normally it’s my husband’s mother Margie, or Nanny. But of late my brother-in-law has made it a point to check in with me every month or two. He’s on the road a lot for work and we talk of family and trade stories. I’ve known his big brother for nearly ten years and we’ll have our 8th wedding anniversary next month but it took a long time to have more than a passing “hello” in the hall while at the folks for Thanksgiving.
He’d go out hunting early in the morning, a man’s man. They’ve never had a sister so it is with pride that I accept the title “sister” from my brother John. We still disagree politically, without rancor. When we’re together the whole family just gets along but we don’t have kids in the mix. My husband’s family has taken me in and it’s an honor to be a part of this family. Cheers, Dee
Cooking with Dee 