Okay. I picked up my cell phone to make a call. I released the lock so that I could make the call. Then I put the cell phone to my ear and waited. And waited. . .  And waited. . .

 What was I waiting for? The dial tone!!!

 Oh, my goodness! What is that?!?!?!?

 I have used a cell phone for many, many years. I do admit – I was one of those hold-outs who refused to run out and get a cell phone at the beginning. If I were not at home, my answering machine could take a message just fine, and I could listen to that message when I got home. So there!

 Well, then, for a summer between school years (back in 2000), I worked at a job where I had to carry a company cell phone with me as I travelled during the day. That’s all it took. After that, I got a personal cell phone – one for me and one for 2^nd daughter (in high school at the time).

 Then, a few years later, I decided I didn’t want to pay for a land line (as they’re called now) and a cell phone. So I started using a cell phone completely.

 So. . . why, at 59, was I sitting and waiting for a dial tone that had never been there before and that I would never hear? I don’t know!

 After sitting for a minute or two – waiting for the dial tone – I realized what I was doing. At least, that’s good, that I didn’t just keep sitting there – right?

 I had to wait to make the call because I was laughing so hard at myself. I do that a lot – laugh at myself. I guess it’s because I have so much material to laugh at. Good grief!

 For those of you who are too young (or too cell phoned) to remember the “old” dial phones – here’s a picture of one. This was called a princess phone.

As you use your cell phone, just don’t do what I did – sit counting the minutes while you wait for a dial tone. At least I can still count!