The marvels of modern technology

I was reminded the other day why modern technology and people born in the 1920’s don’t mix. It’s an old story, but a good one, so I thought I’d share it…

There are 4 facts that you need to know in order for this story to make sense.

1. My last name is BOYD. I didn’t change it. Not because I don’t think the idea of completely obliterating my previous existence with a pile of government forms isn’t TERRIBLY romantic….it was just SO much easier NOT to.

2. Rob’s last name is HENRY.

3. When we moved to Collingwood we listed our phone number as Henry-Boyd because it made it just a WEE bit more difficult for patients to track me down, if only for the fact that way we’d be listed in the H’s instead of the B’s.

4. My dad’s father’s name was Henry.

So a few years ago we moved into our lovely house in Collingwood, called up Bell, got our phone connected and called up my dad on a casual Saturday afternoon just to chat.

My dad almost fell off his chair.

In fact, I think maybe he DID fall off his chair.

Right- - I forgot fact #5...my parents have caller ID.

Which my dad read before answering the phone in an unusually apprehensive whisper…

“Helllloooooooooo?”

(Fact #6 : My grandfather is dead. And has been since 1978.)

Oblivious to the fact that my dad was thinking he was having a near death encounter with the ghost of his dead father, I carried on in my usual conversational style with him before I was rudely cut off by the sudden return of his voice,

“WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU CALLING ME FROM!?!?!?”

It took me a little while to clue in, but finally I did, and I quickly adopted a softer approach...

“Dad?...”

“Lyssie?...”

“Yes, dad, it’s me…I’m calling you from my house…everything is OK.”

I won’t pretend that the explanation can be contained in a single blog entry. Or that it came easily. But EVENTUALLY I managed to convince my aging father that I was NOT the reincarnated ghost of his dead father calling him from beyond the grave. I ALSO managed to convince him that EVERY call comes with a “caller ID” and that, in SOME circumstances it is both useful and no-quite-so-scary. After some time, he even began to answer the phone again.