THAT PHONE RINGING IS AN ECHO

I was just lying around the house yesterday after the ball game savoring my first Sunday night retired when the phone rang. I never pay attention to the phone ringing because it’s never for me. The Little Woman picked up and said her usual and told me it was for me! Me??? A call for me????? Are you sure? She say’s its Bill Wortman. BILL!!

Bill is an old friend of mine from the Clearing House days, and we did a little partnership together when I left the Clearing House. Bill is a very talented writer who wrote for the Clearing House, and was so good at it, he convinced a lot of people to buy magazines, and products for their home.

The thing about Bill’s phone call is that it immediately shot me through the past six years or so, and put me in another time frame, and I realized how much life has changed in those few short years. It sounded like Bill, and the same laid-back attitude was there, as was his sense of humor. I figured the only thing that really changed was the time, and the color of my hair. Hearing from Bill was like going home again, seeing memories that you thought would always be present but aren’t, and times you took for granted.

Usually the phone rings for the kid #2, who has a running connection with every female in the universe his age. A cutesy “Hi-is Mike there?” is how I’m greeted when I pick up the phone. Not “Hello, this is _______, is Mike there?” Not at all like Bill, who said his name very nicely for the Little Woman. You must understand that the only calls I get are from the Little Woman when she’s at work and decides to phone in instructions under the guise of a favor. At least she calls. Thanks for the call Bill.

For now on, I’m going to start paying attention when the phone rings, who knows, it may be for me, and on the other end of the line it may be you!