Telephone - Use

TALKING OF TELEPHONE CALLS

Not many may remember that Alexander Graham bell invented telephone which made our life noisier than ever before.

Besides serving as a communication device between two parties, it has contributed for the progress of our daily life and served as a good piece of companion in maintaining harmonious relationship between people especially married / un-married couple.

In my school days, I hardly could come across a telephone instrument not even as a dead one, as it was an expensive affair to maintain it.

Very few top executives / government officers could afford this luxury then. In one case, a marriage was decided when the bride’s party confirmed that they too had telephone at home. This is not a joke but happened in the family of my father’s immediate superior, way back in the 60’s.

Now days, people have something called mobile phone – some thing that even Alexander Graham bell could not have imagined of the development that his invention could reach this proportion.

Conventional instrument did not cause much damage to the culture of our society, but the mobiles are doing beyond imagination. It can trigger a bomb, send the fastest communication or monitor some activity of utmost secrecy. No need to even mention what the camera attached to it can do.

Caused, many confusions, contributed for divorces, created enmity among best friends/ couple, made many robberies possible, and is continuing to promote anti-social activities like, pornography etc;

While this is the case, look at the softer side of the revolution which is also causing loss of revenue for the concerned outfits.

I wish to quote my own experience in this matter.

I remember having a telephone of my own, from1981 (Overseas employment). All my official calls- with sufficient proof -were reimbursed, and I had to pay for all my personal calls. There used to be surprise audits of all similar connections (where the user had to carry official communications at times).







I always maintained record of every activity including telephone calls in my life. Recently, I went thru’ the same and I was shocked how much of my earnings have for TALKING TO PEOPLE alone.

This habit of frequent talking has hardly served any purpose except deriving temporary / momentary pleasure from such communication. The time lost was another regrettable act as well.

Some communications were of great use in resolving few issues. Some of them were:

1. Death of my parents – I couldn’t attend their funeral and had to direct the same to my brother.
2. My longest single conversation was from Oman to my sister in Delhi who was in dire straits then. It was of 30 minutes duration with a bill of Rs.3000.00
3. Few calls when I was un-employed (A total of 48 months putting together such situations during my career since 1981.) were of productive nature in resolving my situation.


I never made personal calls during my working hours except with the permission of my boss, who always understood my loyalty to the company and my honesty towards my work.

There is one unsolved mystery when it comes to telephone calls involving me. I will explain this:

Whenever I called any one, they took me for granted and never concluded the talk till I made it using some excuses.

But, when I’m called in by any one especially friends and relatives, that’s the time;

a.) Their door bell rings
b.) Some one knock their door
c.) Something is on the stove and boiling
d.) Remember to go for shopping
e.) Some one is about to arrive.

It is amazing to realize why I’m not in a position to cut the line after making a basic contact?





A rough calculation based on my records, show, that I have spent over Rs.5 Lakhs on communication alone, (besides Inter-net facility) from 1981 till last year.

There is another rough side of it as well. I’m frequently reminded of unproductive nature of most of my calls (which I make after tracking down some of my friends / relatives – who without exception has never communicate on their own to me –) just to find out if they are well off. So, even a well wished call also makes my life more miserable than it already is.

Recently, I was talking (not over the phone!!) to a stranger, on this matter who laughed at me and said, it is time that you realized who are around you and for what purpose, and limit your conversation accordingly or never make one which is useless. You will save time for better activities and save money too especially when you are not earning on your own.

VERY WELL, SAID by the stranger.



NOTE: I think I have to wake up and maintain communication where it benefits both me and the one I’m calling except my children who are already wise in this matter.





V.Sivasubramaniam
20-07-2009