WHAT’S THAT?
By Beth Carter
Tommy kicked a pebble down a dusty road near the mostly boarded-up town square. When will this boring vacation be over?
“Why can’t we go to Disneyland?”
“It’s more important to visit your grandparents,” said Tommy’s father.
As Tommy walked in step with his shadow, he ran into a large metal box with a cord.
“What’s that?”
“A telephone.”
Tommy stared at his dad’s iPhone. “Were people giants? As big as dinosaurs?”
His dad ruffled Tommy’s hair. “No, son, technology has improved.”
Tommy instinctively reached into the coin dispenser and pulled out a shiny quarter.
“Some things never change."
I like the way you looked at the phone booth from Tommy's (shorter) point of view. As I mentioned in a comment elsewhere, my dad still looks in the coin return of any phone he sees. :-) You're never too old for fun.
ReplyDeletejanet
I always check them too. Ha! Thanks.
DeleteThen again, money can't buy happiness ... but it will buy you a phonecall.
ReplyDeleteGreat work, Beth! Keep a-going!
Good advice. Thank you.
DeleteCute story... great perspective...except my experience was I never had a quarter when I needed one, or if I did I'd find the phone wasn't working and it'd eat my quarter.
ReplyDeleteGood memories though of my parents holding me up to be able to talk into the phone because it didn't reach low enough for me to able to speak into it. Randy
I too remember being held up to speak into that old phone. I'll check yours out soon. Thanks for your comments.
DeleteFun story :) indeed technology seems to shrinking things.. few years down the line laptops might go the way payphones have.. ! tablets and cloud seeming to be the new buzz words..
ReplyDeleteIt is a shock how quickly things have changed since we were kids. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteDear Beth,
ReplyDeleteThis put me in mind of my dad who never could pass a payphone without checking the coin return. Every so often he'd find change.
Cute story, but not without pathos. You spoke volumes with the line, "It's more important to visit your grandparents."
Well done,
Shalom,
Rochelle
Ha! I could never pass a phone without checking the coin slot either. Still do if I happen to see one. Thanks for noticing the importance of family reference. :)
DeleteBeth, we sort of went for the same approach -- unrecognizable relics of times past. Of course, a quarter never changes, it just buys a hell of a lot less. Have yourself a very nice weekend. (Hey, that's six words!)
ReplyDeleteYes, we did. Same approach but still entirely different. Loved yours!
DeleteHave I gotten you hooked on six-word memoirs?!! Have a good holiday weekend.
I have to resort to newspaper boxes not... cute story, Beth.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Thanks, Ted. Did you write one?
DeleteHey! That was my quarter!
ReplyDeleteJust like me, a relic from the past. Great take on the prompt, Beth.
Thanks, Russell. Can't wait to read yours. And Tommy isn't giving that quarter back!
DeleteIt's the third time I have to mention that there's a call box in the town close by where I live. I've had to use it. It works.
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool that it works! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteVery cute, Beth. I know they have pay phones at the hospital, but every time someone uses it, they lose their money. Maybe they just don't look in the coin return? Do those things even work anymore?
ReplyDeleteI've lost plenty of quarters in pay phones. I remember calling someone (probably my parents) collect on a pay phone when I was a teen. They accepted! ;)
DeleteNeat tale!
ReplyDeleteLoved it.
Thanks so much!
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