April 25, 2006 | Phone Phobe
For fun, I took the sleep test. There's tests like this all over the internet, and I take them every once in a while, mostly out of boredom. They're kinda fun, and they're sometimes accurate. So I started clicking away to find my sleep position.
I don't think this is your ordinary "Which Geeky Cartoon Celebrity Pirate Zombie are You?!" quiz, because it was eerily accurate. Especially the part in my results about opting to respond to a phone message with an e-mail. Upon reading that, I was cowering at my desk, whispering to myself, "How do they KNOW?"
I'm not a phone person. Given the option between e-mailing, text messaging, or a phone call. Option C is usually my last resort. It's not that I don't like talking to people, because I do. I'm just, kind of, well, weird about the phone. Those of you who are reading this and who have actually talked to me on the phone are probably thinking, "Wha?" Let me 'splain.
First off, if I'm calling you, especially if it's for no reason in particular, I feel like I'm bothering you. Chances are, I'm probably not, but this feeling overwhelms me anyways. I know. Issues. Number two, people have phone mannerisms. They answer a certain way, they have certain things they say to let you know they're still listening, they say goodbye a certain way, etc. Until I'm able to figure out some of your phone mannerisms, calling you is going to make me nervous. There was a time when I had to call the boyfriend's brother to arrange a carpool thing, and I had to call right THEN. He was about to go see a movie (where his phone would be off), and I might not be able to talk to him until it was too late. So I stood there in an Old Navy, a sweaty palm holding my cell phone to my ear, and when I got his voice mail, I thanked god, and left a message in my shaky little voice. I AM SO BRAVE.
Yes, I know how ridiculous this sounds. It's exceedingly ridiculous because almost all of my former jobs have involved me answering phones and calling people back. I hated every minute of it. One of the reasons I took my current job was because there would be a whole lot less of this phone answering business. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. Ha! The silly thing is, once I've actually talked to you a few times on the phone, I'm usually okay with it. Eventually, I'll even get to a point where the thought of calling you back doesn't paralyze me with fear.
That day I had to call Seth while standing in the middle of Old Navy was at least a year ago, and at present, I have absolutely no problem giving him a call. And out of everyone I know, he's the one who I should be the most hesitant about, because he frequently tries to pretend he's someone else when answering his phone. Which brings us to another one of my quirky phone issues...dialing the wrong number! THE HORROR!
or when the person answers you FORGET WHO YOU CALLED!!!!!!
I TOTALLY understand. I loathe the phone so much.
Wow! This is great. Thanks for commenting, everyone. Maybe we need to start a Phone Phobia Support Group? :)
one: the sleep test is strangely accurate.
two: having to use the phone can put me in a tail spin for days. i have to use it in the office, so i'm making progress there. at home, never. my other half will try to make me use it by saying, 'you need the practice'. the hell i do.
I am totally the same about the phone. Leaving messages on the answerphone is something I completely hate doing. And having listened to a couple of my messages, I think people hate listening to them almost as much. Conincidentlly, I think I got the same result as you on that quiz (scarily accurate).
The Good Girl
http://www.musingsofthegoodgirl.blogspot.com/
Oh my gosh I feel like you are in my head. You described my phone issues. I feel a bit better about that somehow. My husband Niel also answers the phone or calls me in wacky voices.
I took that quiz twice and each time it could not have been *less* accurate.
I'm the exact same way about the phone - we probably should have gotten the same results!
How does it KNOW that I have low blood pressure and sometimes can't donate because of that!? Eeek!
Also, I think regularly sharing a bed with your loved one is something of an art. My boyfriend and I are now at the point where one rolls over and the other adjusts, neither of us ever waking up. :)
i think we might be twins.
(and that quiz was insanely dead-on.)
Wow... I'm not the only one! I almost never talk on the phone, unless someone calls and force me to keep talking. I usually say "oh, the other line's ringing, gotta go," Or "i have to go take the dog for a walk. bye." It actually has gotten to the point where I write mos of my friends LETTERS (not email, actual handwriting snail mail letters) instead of talking. But it's much better that way.
I also have a huge problem leaving people messages. My messages are always really long, and I end up apologozing for how long they are in the message, which makes it even longer.