Fact: I have a cell phone.
Fact: I have skype.
Fact: I have a home phone (well, my fambly does.)
Fact: Talking on the telephone is a huge source of stress for me.
Firstly, I never know what to say. I know it's "just like talking in person", but I can't see your face. That's what you do when you talk to people in person, you see their faces.
Secondly, I'm dreadful at HANGING UP.
"So yeah."
"Yup."
"..."
"..."
"Okay then, did you have anything else you wanted to say?"
"No, Whimsy, I just called to talk."
"Oh. Right. Yes."
*silence*
Me, thinking: "Okay, where do we go from here?"
Me, talking: "Nice weather, huh?"
Then there's the terror known at the answering machine. O__O
"...Please leave a message after the beep."
"Hi, this is Whimsy calling. I was going to call for a reason, but I forgot so there's really no reason to call and talk to you, but it's been a while since we've talked so I thought we could talk but yeah.
So I guess you aren't there cuz if you WERE there you'd have picked up the phone, and if you want and it's not a bad time for you, call me back. No stress so if you're doing something important don't bother, I was just thinking...
Anyway. My phone number is 62442, in case you don't know that. Which you do. Cuz I called your cell phone and it saves my number and OH! Right! You had borrowed a book from me and if you're finished with it I'd like it back for I miss it and I want it to come home. Did I leave my number yet? I think I did. Anyway-"
*BEEEEEEP*
*blank stare at phone*
"Shit."
Or then there's that horrible fear that you have just called at the worst possible time, while everyone has the plague, there's a fire in the house, they're eating dinner with the grandparents, AND American Idol is on TV.
"Hi, this is Whimsy. Bad time?"
"...I called you."
"I knew that! I was testing you!"
And what do you do when you're ON THE PHONE? Do you sit there, just listening to the other person talk? Am I the only person who just can't sit still while talking on the phone? For serious, if I'm in my room, I will walk backandforthandbackandforth until I hang up. It's nervous energy.
On top of that, I talk with my hands a lot as well. I'm a very animated and visual person, so if you're talking to me on the phone, you're missing about half of what I'm saying. I gesticulate excessively. I can't help it.
And then there's the house phone when somebody calls. If it rings, and I'm the person who's the closet to it, I will do the hot-potato-toss-the-phone-to-anyone-else maneuver that I am so adept at.
God forbid I have to pick it up.
"Hi-this-is-Whimsy-how-are-you?"
"Hi Whimsy! I can tell your voice on the phone! I'm good, how are you?"
"I'm good, how are you?"
*Awkward lapse into silence as I realize what I've said.*
"Haha, I'm good!"
"That's...good."
Palm, meet face.
It's even worse for me if I don't KNOW the person. I can pick up the phone on Arc without TOO much stress now, but it took a long time to get to that point, and I still don't like it that much. If I have to talk to somebody who I don't know, and it's a kinda-important call, I will start having a panic attack.
Long story short?
Phones and Whimsy are NOT FRIENDS.
Am I the only one who feels like this? For some reason, Skype is different.
You want to IM me? We can do that all day long. ^___^
P.S. I tell people all the time that I don't like talking on the phone. Most of the time, they go "Aww, it's okay, I won't bite" and try to make me feel comfortable with talking to them.
It's not you. Really.
I like you. I don't like telephones.
P.P.S. All I can think about is that Lady Gaga Telephone song in my head. It will NOT leave.
Oh my goodness, are you inside my head or something?
ReplyDelete1)I was singing that Lady Gaga song in my head the whole time I was reading this
2)You're definitely not alone in this. I talk with my hands too and it drives me nuts to be on the phone because not only is the other person missing a lot of what I'm saying with my gestures and such, but I'm missing what they're saying with their body language (gestures, posture, facial expression, etc.)
I am also terrified of phones. I can do Skype calls, because then at least you can poke the person in a text IM first to make sure they want to chat. But I CANNOT PHONE PEOPLE.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIt's okay, I hate the phone too. I'm happy with IM and texting, and okay with Skype (sometimes), but I really hate the phone. Don't ask me why talking via text, where you don't get visual or auditory cues (tone, etc.) is better than the phone, where you at least get auditory.
ReplyDeleteNatalia said:
ReplyDeleteI don't get it, [Whimsy]... why don't we talk more often?
Believe me, this is a big issue for me too. I can make speeches in front of people, conduct interviews, do everything just fine. But when it comes time to call be, my hands get all sweaty and my tummy starts flipping out.
I think it has to do with not being able to read a person's body language. I am someone who reads body language and someone who produces a lot of body language to be read. Gestures, faces all that, I'm very animated when I speak. So I think it is hard for me to not be able to show that when I talk on the phone.
----
Apologies for editing your comment, but I attempt to keep my given name off my blog for privacy/stalkers/etc.
We should talk more often, though. ^___^
Lola, Elisha, Natalia, and Michael:
ReplyDeleteGoodness! It's so amusing/nice to see that I'm not the only phone-dislike-er-er.
Being able to poke somebody on Skype is SO HELPFUL, and I too, do better with text-related communication. ^__^
I AM EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
ReplyDeleteThe internet has made me feel a lot better about this, because I've met people like you and many others who haaaate talking on the phone. I used to get made fun of for it, and people just didn't understand the serious anxiety it causes me, so they'd tell me to just get over it (NOTHING IS EVER THAT EASY).
So yes. Not alone on this one, Whimsy.
I didn't realize I was such a source of panic for you, Whimsy XD Many apologies.
ReplyDeleteI have no trouble picking UP the phone, but I HATE having to call someone like a doctor or important person I don't know for one reason or another. It freaks me out.
Ohmygosh! I HATE the phone!! Everything I read on this post, I was like "wow, her relationship with the phone is just like mine" xD
ReplyDeleteHaha, it made me laugh :) I love your Blog, by the way!! Unschooler? Awesome!! Most of my friends are, and I'm homeschooled.. Although we haven't been doing school that much lately. Haha, thanks for the fun read!!
*hugs*
Jordan @ Rainbow Veins