Pavlov would be proud

Some of you may have heard this before.

Ok. The phone call is a question. When the phone rings, there is no obligation to answer, no one testing to see how fast you respond, no world records are being set for the most or least amount of rings before someone picks up the phone. The phone call is a question.

And the question is this: do you want to talk to me?

My experience with people and phone is this...people tend to jump to answer when the phone rings. They hear that sound and they have this innate desire to pick it up and say hello. It doesn't matter if people have caller ID, they just have to pick it up.

Shh...a secret...you don't have to pick up.

And if you choose not to answer the phone, no reasonable person can be mad at you. They asked you a question and you said no.

And yet...

As of late, due to the nature of my job, I am finding that people don't understand the concept of the phone and its question asked in ring tones. They pick it up. While they're driving, while they're in the bathroom, while they're in the middle of burning dinner. And every time they're annoyed that I've called, I have to wonder: did you have to pick it up?

I've been told numerous times at my call center job that "It's not a good time." Or my current favorite: "I'm driving right now and can't talk." If you can't talk...don't answer the phone. Let us leave a message. Obviously it's not a good time, and I'm not offended if you can't talk. I understand. Sometimes I'm doing too many things and I can't answer the phone. And during those times of busyness, my answer to the phone call question is plain and simple:

"No. I can't talk right now."

And I let it go to voice mail.

All right. I'm done for now. But I will leave with this: if you hear the phone ring, think about the question. There is no reason we have to salivate every time we hear a bell.

Currently watching : The X-Files - The Complete Sixth Season (Slim Set)