So, the other day on my way home, I stopped in at Future Shop (spit) to pick up a gift for the women in my home.
While there nature called, she wanted a good chunk of time with me. So, off I hurried to find a washroom with an available seat. No sooner had I begun my commune with nature when my cell phone began to ring!
And ring and ring and ring. Mostly because my coat was hanging on the door and out of my reach.
So, what's the etiquette with that? Do you answer it and carry on like you're sitting at your desk working on some other project? Do you answer with an out of breath, "I'm bizzzzy!" or would a "...I'm sorry, I'm really unavailable to take your call at this time, please leave a message..."
And what about an inside the washroom protocol?
Do you answer IF there is no one else in the room? And if someone else is feeling natures call, do you mutter something like "can't even get any privacy in the privy, mutter mutter..." and let it ring? Cause I can't see you carrying on a deep conversation with someone, while other people are doing their business and listening in on you. And worse, what if they flush, or make other washroom noises, how do you explain that to your outside caller? ...
These are the things I lay awake thinking about last night, because I couldn't sleep. I have a difficult funeral tomorrow morning, and I don't have peace about it yet.
Well... whenever I phone Gavin and he is "busy" he usually talks, assuming he has the phone with him. Which is surprisingly a lot of the time. So if one pastor can do it why can't another?
ReplyDeleteThere have been numerous times when I've been on the phone with a particular friend, and somewhere along the line I hear the toilet flush. But I guess it's different between friends (although I think it's a little strange).
ReplyDeleteWell I hope you have call display. If it is someone at your house that has heard the toilet flush before - OK. Otherwise who says you have to answer every call?
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with pastors having phones in the washroom? I've called a completely different pastor and he answered in the washroom. I say if you're alone and you can pause yourself, then it's totally up to you. BUT if there's people in other stalls or urinals, or you run the risk of creating "background noise" it may be best to pass. I wonder if Miss Manners has tackled this issue yet. It must happen a lot in this wonderful wireless age we live in.
ReplyDeleteI have done it once - never again. I require full concentration at these times, and do not wish to discuss other things while busy in this manner.
ReplyDeleteBTW I must be getting old. I was going to post a little 'scenario' involving phrases like "grunt" and "purple gasp". Good taste overcame what might have been extremely funny for some. Alzheimer's, here I come.
Hmm, good taste over humor.
ReplyDeleteMust be getting older!!
:-)
I too had the victory over a number of smart remarks!
Why I read this blog at work is beyond me....I'm laughing out loud hysterically, so besides having my co-workers think I'm totally spaced, I have to, at the same time, minimize my imagination so the laughing does not continue on and on and on and on and on...........
ReplyDeleteWhat an intelligent topic to talk about - to the woerld no less
ReplyDeleteI think the thing that resonates with me the most is ... in this new world of ours, we can't even take 5 minutes to ourselves to tinkle. What is it with people nowadays that make them think that taking time for themselves is selfish. Besides the more we give of ourselves to others the less "allowed" we are to take time for ourselves. Get it? I believe that we have made ourselves TOO available to others. That's why people think it's ok to get a phone call in the movie theater, at church, at funerals, in their cars, during dinner, during bible studies,... during prayer.
ReplyDeleteI remember visiting with friends at my house when the phone rang. My husband and I both believed that it was rude to answer during a visit, so we chose to let the machine pick up. At the time, our friend's words and company were our priority. I also remember (numerous times) that I have visited with friend's at their house and having not gotten a single bit of "visiting" done because the phone would ring, and subsequently, be answered. I left the so called visit thinking, "What was the point of THAT??!!??!! I should have stayed at home." Naturally, when parents have kids at home or their job requires them to be on call, the rules change, but do you really need to know that your 5 o'clock hockey game has been changed to 5:15 right this moment?....especially considering that it is only 9:00 a.m.!! Do you really need your privacy - and other's - invaded at every hour of evry day? Do you really need to be so busy? Do you really need to be so available? Perhaps if others were encouraged to be more self - sufficient, then they would actually become more self - sufficient.
Just a thought ... now, you must excuse, I have to flush!
I'm not very good at multi-tasking so I'd let it ring.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jodine, I'm thinking of starting to smoke so I could take smoke breaks out in the fresh air, visiting with like minded individuals. You know, build breaks into my day where I connect with people, enjoy the outdoors, and like that!
ReplyDeleteIts too bad you don't have a pee "code." At work, as management, we have to be on a walkie talkie headset all the time incase of trouble...we have come up with certain phrases that the "important" people know so we can go pee. There is nothing worse having someone go pee and they are accidentally pressing (or sitting on) their mic button...you get a full audio experience along with them.
ReplyDeleteSo instead we say "going offline" or "walking the dog"...you might try these.
Some of my best conversations have been enjoyed while nuturing my nature. Personally, if nothing else, it brings people together, mainly cause we all have this in common. What is wrong with alittle transparenance?
ReplyDeleteNo one should ever have their cell phone turned on in the "Library".
ReplyDelete