Are we the ONLY people with a land line at this point? You may not know this about me, but I am incredibly neurotic. Especially when it comes to my kids. I have an incredible imagination when it comes to the hideous things that could befall the people I love. Having a real telephone in our home means that if for some reason my cell isn’t working or I can’t find it or it’s dead or something, we are still reachable. As I write that down, I know it sounds crazy, but it makes me feel better, so whatever.
The upside of still having a physical telephone line in our home is that I can use my vintage phones! So when those pesky telemarketers call I can ask them to take me off their call list in style!
Here’s another fun fact about me: I am notoriously phone phobic. So while I think they are the cutest things ever, I actually really hate talking on the phone. I am lucky enough to have many people I love, and a lot of them live far away. An easy way to keep in touch would be to pick up the phone and you know, actually converse with them. For some reason though, I tend to break out in a rash just thinking of it. I often feel like a complete idiot whilst conversing with people, but doing so on the phone amplifies that.
So why would I have vintage phones on my list of things that make me happy? Because I love the look of them! They harken back to a time when people wanted their home appliances in more than white, black, or stainless steel. I love their bright colors and shiny plastic. Their curled cords and touch tone buttons.
There’s definitely some nostalgia built up around these things too. As we were on our way home from walking the kids to school this morning, my husband and I were discussing our fond memories of talking on the phone as children. We were laughing about the fact that you were tied to one place talking on the phone. Using an actual phone is a tactile experience. From the way you can wrap the cord over your fingers, push the buttons or manipulate the rotor, to the feeling of physically hanging up the phone, it’s all an interaction very different from dealing with a flat smooth screen.
So while I shy away from actually using the phone, I do really love the look and feel of my vintage phones.