My 3 phones

Yes, I have three phones. No, one of the three is not a business phone.

This is the set for my land line:

 

Note how this phone has large keys. It’s senior friendly. I plan to keep it for as long as I live.

This phone also has an answering machine. Nine out of ten calls that come in are robocalls. They don’t leave a message, so I don’t stop what I’m doing to grab the phone. I enjoy meditating or whatever else I’m doing without interruptions.

I maintain a land line for the emergency alert connected to the line. It’s a less expensive plan than one that uses cell technology. Also, I’m keeping electromagnetic radiation in my home to a minimum.

I like my legacy cell phone:

My first flip phone was a Motorola StarTAC. A friend was upgrading his phone and gave it to me. (There’s nothing like being frugal.)

This flip phone fits neatly in a pocket. I carry this phone with me when I’m out and about. I’ve dropped it without damaging it. It’s not practical to use for sending text messages, though. My service plan doesn’t include Internet access. I’ve never thought that I would want it for Internet access anyway. It doesn’t have a touch screen, of course.

I’ve never used it as a camera. My attitude is that for taking pictures I’ll use my camera. Similarly, if I want the Internet, I’ll get on a computer.

My current flip phone was manufactured by China’s Huawei – down with China.

The first cell phone in the family, a clunky one, was my late mother’s. She wanted to be safe when she was out driving. We went to the local Ameritech store – one of the Baby Bells that was later gobbled up by another Baby Bell. It has Chicago’s legacy area code, 312. I asked for a number whose last four digits were the same as the home phone of 40 years.

I inherited the phone when Mom passed away in 1999. I put the account under my name so that I could retain the number. I’ve had a cell phone ever since.

My third phone, a new addition, is a smart phone:

 

I decided on a pay-as-you-go provider while I tested uncharted waters. This type of phone is delicate, so it stays protected at home. Remember that I already dropped my flip phone more than once. Besides this consideration, a smart phone is clunky (to my way of thinking). Pockets are for wallets, keys, a small phone, and a camera, not for a mini computer that’s as large as my passport.

Maybe some other time I’ll tell you about a personal beeper that I had before the cell phone.