WHO WE’LL BE AFTER THIS
Let’s Not Forget the Joy of a Spontaneous Phone Call
Quarantine has reminded me how fun it is to talk on the phone
My grandparents used to make spontaneous phone calls. They were also people who stopped by the neighbors’ house unannounced — something I can’t imagine anyone I know actually doing. Whenever I read a magazine offering tips for “unexpected guests” like “Always have frozen cookie dough in the freezer in case of company,” I think, “I cannot fathom a universe in which my friends would do this.”
But I’ve seen us all become a lot more grandparent-esque in the past couple months in our communication styles. Like my grandfather, to whom it didn’t seem to occur that someone would ever be busy when he dialed their number, my friends and I have started just calling each other. For no reason at all.
It makes me chuckle to think about how carefully I planned my phone calls in The Before. How I’d pour myself water and situate myself on the couch and craft a solid excuse to leave in case the conversation dwindled. I’d put phone chats on the calendar and give myself ample padding room on either side (probably a self-protective practice for those of us whose energy is zapped by socializing).
