Roughly once per week I call home and complain to my mom about my life.  And then she complains back about hers.  It’s so much cheaper than therapy or yoga or binge drinking or any of the other ways of dealing with stress.  But that’s not the kind of calling I want to address in this blog post.

During my last call home, I was busy trying to put together a concert, and needed signoff very quickly from five different people to make the event happen.  I of course sent an email copying the five, and was waiting on pins and needles as the responses came in.  This happened to be during one of my weekly complain-session with mom, and she asked a very simple question: “why don’t you call the two people you still haven’t heard from?”  The idea hadn’t even occurred to me.  It seemed for some reason almost rude to invade someone’s life with a phone call, and to put them on the spot like that for an answer.  “That’s generational,” my mom said.  “I can’t imagine doing anything actually important WITHOUT calling.”

So I called.  And we talked.  And things worked out, probably faster than they would have over email.  What do you think?  Is it time to rediscover our facebook machines’ ability to make phone calls?  Or is a business call to someone’s cell phone to be reserved for emergencies and special occasions?

Look how happy all these people are when they use the phone! #stockphoto

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