CHRONICLE Per Strömbro about phone calls, chat conversations and new times: “It was more pleasant before, when we were undeveloped”.
The phone buzzes. A new notice. For some reason, it’s like a part of me dies every time it happens. I’ll look later. I know that signals most of the time mean that I am expected to do something from them. Pling/hum equals demand. And they wear one down.
In fact, the most life-enhancing thing that’s happened to me since I quit my regular job a year ago is that the percentage of messages from Teams has basically been eliminated. It’s like my whole breathing has become easier. I value it.
It was more pleasant before, when we were undeveloped.
It was more pleasant before, when we were undeveloped. Back then, a voice call was usually required if you wanted an answer to something reasonably quickly. It was also like a primitive, but effective filter to weed out low-priority information. For example, I can’t remember that there were any conversations at the workplaces about “now plastic boxes left behind in the counter will be thrown away if they are not picked up as soon as possible.” Thank you for helping to increase the well-being of the workplace by not leaving plastic boxes when you leave our shared kitchen”.
I appreciate phone calls, because somewhere I have a love for the presence of other people, and still think it is a superior form of communication if there is reason to believe that one needs to ask more than one follow-up question. Most people overestimate their ability to write to get the whole picture, and instead of getting it all done in a short conversation, I find myself stuck in a long text or chat-
conversation. Type:
12.29 ICE Helly (wife): Can you buy milk?
12.55 Me: Yes! I am 44 years old and know very well how it goes. I have proven that many times. Is this a cog issue?
12.56 ICE Helly (wife): …
12.57 ICE Helly (wife):
12.57 ICE Helly (wife): …
12.57 ICE Helly (wife): Buy milk!
12.58 Me: Lactose-free or regular?
13.01 ICE Helly (wife): Lactose free
13.09 Me: Norrmejerier or Valio?
14.00 ICE Helly (wife): Sat in a meeting. Optional 🤪
14.01 Me: Not sure if “optional” is autocorrect for “Valio”.
14.01 ICE Helly (wife): …
14.17 ICE Helly (wife):
14.17 Me: Think you might be better off buying it, after all.
Another advantage of being spoken to is that it is so much easier to discern nuances of my interlocutor’s intent and mood if I can hear his voice. But I think this is precisely what is difficult for many others: They don’t want me to hear. Especially not if they are irritated or stressed. In text form, they can always imagine that passive aggressiveness can be hidden by decorating the messages with happy or goofy emojis.
They don’t want me to hear. Especially not if they are irritated or stressed.
But, you might be thinking, why are people annoyed with you? I would say that, when it happens, it is because I did not meet the requirements that prompted a previous notice.
Anyway, we phone geeks are a dying breed and I have accepted my fate as a stophile. And “cringe”, if my children are to be believed. By the way, just by writing “cringe” I just became more “cringe”, according to their world order.
I pick up the phone. This time it’s Horsegirl13 who has sent another message. If it weren’t for the fact that she is my daughter, I would report her for stalking. Her message reads: “Hi Dad! Soon it’s Christmas. Can I get a live horse for Christmas from you and mom? Or a pony, if you have too little money. It’s also going well. Thanks!”
Feel “ghosted”, Mary.
Per Strömbro
2024-01-08 13:39:34
#Strömbro #living #stofils #observations #Megafonen #Skellefteå
