Tag Archives: perturbed

Answering Machine

dictionary with letter A

Answering machine: (n.) a tape recorder or digital device that supplies a recorded message to a telephone call and can record a message from the caller.

A “Duophone.”

You see, I even remember the name.

It was one of the first answering machines put out by Radio Shack in the mid-1970’s, for those innovative, upbeat, contemporary souls who wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls or commercial opportunities.

I had to have one.

I bought it and after about four hours of comprehensive attempts at understanding the directions, I successfully hooked it up to my over-priced AT&T phone.

I then spent another four hours deciding what message to leave, gyrating between a brief but officious speech and a more silly, fun-loving and comical greeting.

Worst of all, I decided to blend the two. I even remember what I came up with as the final product:

“Hi, there. It’s not really me, it’s my Duophone, which enables me to get your message so I can get right back to you if I end up being right back. Just kidding. I mean, not about getting back to you. About when I will be here to hear the message. Anyway, call you soon.”

Awkward.

Amazing, though–after you listen to something four or five times, one convinces oneself that it’s really cool.

The problem with my Duophone, other than the fact that it had a hit-and-miss quality to it, having been spawned from Radio Shack, was that one of my friends thought it was really funny to keep calling and leaving abstract, silly, or even profane messages until he totally filled up the space provided.

After a while, when other people got answering machines and it was no longer a novelty, the American public became perturbed with having to listen to a contraption instead of completing calls, so my playback upon returning was often a series of hang-ups or disgruntled complaints over my absence.

Mercifully, on one of my moves to another location, the Duophone fell out of a truck and crashed on the pavement and I selected never to replace it.

The problem with answering machines is that they really don’t answer. They just put off a much-needed conversation to a later and usually less fruitful time.

 

 

Donate Button

Thank you for enjoying Words from Dic(tionary) —  J.R. Practix

Annoy

dictionary with letter A

Annoy: (v) to irritate someone; make someone a little angry.

The interesting fact is that “to annoy” or “an annoyance” falls under two categories–the obvious annoy and the unknown annoy.

I am not a novice to the obvious annoy.

There are folks you meet who are fun to tease because they either over-react in a comical sense, or they desperately try to ignore you while sprouting great fits of exasperation.

I cannot say that I’m proud of my occasional penchant for wanting to annoy others. It’s just a sense of curiosity about why some people find certain words, actions or even visuals distasteful, and I am able to practically control them by continuing to share these things in front of them, while getting ticked in my own soul over their frustration. As I said, I’m not proud of that, but have been known to participate.

But when it comes to the unknown annoy which happens, I have to admit that I’m baffled.

Sometimes I meet people, and even though I try, with all of my tenderness, humility and conversation, to evoke their pleasure, for some reason they find me distasteful.

I don’t know why, and on those occasions when I ask them if I’ve done something to offend, they insist that there’s nothing wrong while getting even more perturbed.

I remember one night, I was told that a girl with anorexia was coming to a party and she was in the midst of counseling and recovery. I immediately excused myself and left.

You see, I’m a fat man–so overweight that my mere appearance might cause a relapse in the young woman.

Yes, she would be annoyed at my sight.

You see, that one I get. But sometimes we remind people of other folks who have hurt them–or maybe it’s a smell. I don’t know.

So here’s a clue: when I choose to annoy, I need to remember to be careful and not overdo it. But when people find me annoying for no particular reason, I need to give them the room to ignore me … without having an opinion on their decision..

Donate Button

Thank you for enjoying Words from Dic(tionary) —  J.R. Practix