I left my phone at home today, which is the subject of a whole other post about how I am entirely too dependent on perpetual communication. Consequently, I missed a call and a message at 11:30 this morning. When I have a missed call AND a new voice mail message, I get those notices in reverse. In other words, the first screen says “1 new message–listen now?” and the second screen says “1 missed call–view now?” I hardly ever view the missed call on screen two, assuming I’ll figure out who it was that called me when I listen to the message.
When my grandmother died in August, the preacher from my childhood days in a tiny West Virginia church presided at her funeral. I adored him, and his wife Patty, my Sunday school teacher, was my BFF when I was 7. They left WV when I was in college, and a few years ago they moved back to the state. They are retired now and living in a small town about 45 minutes from where I was born, where most of my family was born, and where my grandmother lived most of her life and is now buried. At the funeral Patty and I promised to stay in touch, and a few weeks ago I sent her a Halloween card and a picture of Mia and asked if they would be around for the Thanksgiving holiday. I never heard from her.
So I dialed the access number for my voice mailbox, and for a few dizzying seconds I thought the message was from my grandmother. Thought it was my grandmother’s voice saying my name. It was Patty, of course, calling to let me know they would love for us all to get together, but I honestly can’t remember most of what she said. I think there was something about show ponies. Or maybe Shoney’s. I’m definitely going to have to call her back. But later, like maybe tomorrow, because I am still reeling, can still hear her greeting sounding oh so much like my Mama, and I’m not really taking it all that well.
Is it just me, or do you see a stiff drink in my future?
one small corner of the universe 