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I have to untrain myself from answering the landline

Istiqlál (Independence), 3 Sultán (Sovereignty), 167 BE – Friday, January 21, 2011 about 12:25 AM Pacific Time

My friends, my acquaintances, and business associates (those I want to contact me) have my cell phone number, while everyone else has the landline number. There is a certain time each month when I do not want to talk to those who have my landline number. I have voice mail on the landline, so anyone calling it can leave a message.

My problem is I attempt to answer the phone when it rings. This comes from my youth; both Mom and Grandma trained me to answer the phone when it rings. I remember Grandma always answering the phone, when she was home the phone never ring more then two or three times before, she answered it. Grandma did not have an answering machine or voice mail.

The phone connected to the landline is in the breakfast room and it rings only four times before the voice mail picks it up. I find myself running to answer the phone, sometimes I am lucky and the answering machine picks it up. Sometimes I am lucky and the person on the other end hangs up before I get to the phone.

This morning I got to the phone before the voice mail and it was someone I do not want to talk to when my bank account is as low as it is today. I have enough in the account to pay for one of Mom’s meds and medication is an A priority and number one on the list. In addition, there are two other A priorities before any debts come out of the account, so I am going to have to untrain myself from answering the landline and today is just as good a day to start it as tomorrow.