(no subject)

[tohma2004]

Everyday I realize just how much I hate telephones. They have to be the most awful invention of mankind. I don't know what it is that I dislike so much but I just...I can't stand them. Everytime it rings I work I run the other way, hoping someone else will answer it.

I mean...I'm a communications major right? Well why the hell is it so hard for me to communicate?? Phones are a part of the whole communication world and yet I just can't bring myself to use them. I hate calling anyone, I hate answering the phone when it rings. It's like that once piece of equipment is carrying the plague or something and if I touch too many I'm going to get infected.

I think the only reason I carry my celphone is in case some tragedy occurs and I need to get help. Pam calls home and my family a lot when she is out. I never call home if I'm leaving work or anything. If I can avoid using the phone all day then I consider it a good day. I think there is just something lost when someone is trying to talk to you over the phone.

Customers call and they want help with finding a specific item and it is almost like some sort of translator device blocks the calls and turns what they want into some strange language that I don't understand. It usually involves me passing the phone to someone else and then realizing after they answer the question that I probably actually knew the answer...why does the phone make me stupid?

But anyway...enough about that evil contraption. What brings this up you ask? My secret I guess.

Actually I've been doing a lot of thinking about a lot of things lately and my thought process usually ends up taking me off onto tangents such as the one above and I really don't know why. I think I've just gotten to the point where I have made the trip to work so much that I'm running out of things to think about and so I get these random little thoughts like how much I hate phones.

But I think I also figured out why I never IM people or why I never call anyone. I don't want to bother them. I'm always afraid that I'll call at a bad time or IM them when they are busy...so I just wait for them to contact me, cause I'm never doing anything terribly important when I am online but I also don't have constant internet or have my AIM open all the time. My online time is so limited because of dialup that I just run through the sites I like to check and then I do random things until I feel like I've tied up the phone line too long. So I never IM anyone unless I have something extremely important to tell them...which with the way life is right now, is never.

The phone is the same way. I don't want to interrupt anyones life and I can't come up with random crap to talk about. And since I don't have anything exciting that anyone would want to know about I figure its better to not waste their time.

So you see...random thoughts. Maybe it is because I haven't slept well lately...I was beginning to blame it on the fact that my insides felt like they were being torn from me a few times this week. Actually, ALL day Friday they felt like that. Work was horrible. It got to the point where I couldn't even stand up. Its the same problem I have had for awhile and I wish I had some answer as to how to make it stop...but doctors suck.

oh yeah, will I need a parking pass while at Hollins or anything? Like a guest pass or something so I don't have to wander around Roanoke from 8 to 4PM everyday? Still planning on arriving tomorrow. Probably stay in the apartment but might start out my night at Tinker tomorrow. I'll be coming straight from work so I guess I won't really know the answer to my question...ah well, I'll figure it out when I get there.

Thats it...sorry this turned out to be long and about nothing in particular..

Comments

[angbunny.livejournal.com]

I mean...I'm a communications major right? Well why the hell is it so hard for me to communicate??

Michele, I completely understand where you are coming from. The best that I can figures is that us shy people like to read body language, thus the difficulty in phones and im. With im's you loose the actual voice in addition to body language making it even hard sometime than phone communication.

Enough of my mumbo jumbo though, what do I know? ::hugs:: I miss you. Holler at me if you are in the DC area.

Random Person Sympathizes

[aletathuvis135.livejournal.com]

I used to be like that. I didn't like ordering pizza over the phone and the such.

What changed, was I got a job in a call center as customer service reprentative. Most of my phone shyness got cured then. But I still feel a zap of fear every once in a while.

Two Suggestions:
1: Set up with a friend you know, phone conversations. Perhaps, have three topics on hand to talk about it and just Talk on the phone.
2: Wait one more ring and calm yourself... then answer.

I hope this helps...and feel free to ignore if you want.

Aleta

Here Via Kouri's friend list.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh. that person who posted previously, I think that's a good suggesstion. Practice will make you more comfortable, and although it's not a necessity, really I think technology is only going to get MORE pervasive. Like, phones have been around for a while, but now there is text messaging and the pinger and they're just going to find new and more ways that phones can be cooler and more things like phones. So unless you wanna end up that old person who can't use that newfangled TECH-NO-LAGEE, It might be best to work on being at least comfortable with phones, even if you don't really like them.

I think more so as it tis something that will come up at work. But calling someone you know often sounds like a good plan. Or maybe letter-writing (like e-mail) or something. Go for it!

Boya, good for thinking.

[mizunol.livejournal.com]

Seriously. And if I had a paid account I would use an icon of Seishirou hugging his Subaru. But I am a cheap, cheap bastard, so I'll just use my regular icon.

I am bad at LJ and worse at communication, but I must iterate that I really and truly enjoy talking to you. Some of my favorite times with you have been you just talking about your horses. I know how important they are to you, so I'm honored that you share that with me.

Kind of tangent... anyway, there really is nothing saying that you have to love phones. But in response to your communication problems, I highly suggest sending letters and/or e-mails. People can read those things at their convenience, and you can always sit down with a topic in mind and then just start going. Do you write anymore? Maybe it's just the thesis breathing down my neck, but right now I just want to tell you never stop writing. Sometimes you might really hate it and think it's frustrating but in the end it's oh-so-helpful, even if it's something you never share.

Longhand might be especially helpful, because (I'm sorry this will sound like a stupid, stupid writer thing and it hurts me to say) you really aren't bound by the page. Seriously, get a pen or pencil and a sheet of unlined paper. You could write, you could draw, you could do whatever and then send it off. Really. I'd be thrilled to receive something like that, and I'm sure anyone else would be as well.

Finally, I still think I might be visiting Greensboro, maybe on the 9th of February. Isn't it nice how I commit? Also, please please visit again and bring the board game with the Gatekeeper. That would be so much fun to play.

Re: Boya, good for thinking.

[tohma2004.livejournal.com]

9th of February. I'll have to remember that ^^ I'll try and get that day off or something. What day of the week is it?

I'll have to find the Gatekeeper game XD I have two of them remember. I'll bring it up sometime. maybe I can get another random two days off sometime during the spring and I'll bring the game.