Grade: Kindergarten

Age: 4

Miss McNanny announces another special activity for the day. I know I should have not expected much but I was only 4 and I was kind of like a dog. I’d come back after being abused every time.

There were about 33 of us in class that day so Miss McNanny had us make two rows of seats across from each other. 17 on one side and 16 about 10 feet away facing the other seats.

The idea for the day was to teach us telephone courtesy. She had two standard rotary telephones and a small switch board to control them.

We sat down half on one side and half on the other. Miss McNanny put her seat at the end of the short line and worked the switchboard. The first two kids had the phones on their lap. One picked up and “dialed” and Miss McNanny made the other ring.

(Phone rings)
“Hello?” said the first kid.
“Hello, is Wendy there?” said the second.
“Speaking.”
“Would you like to come over to play?”
“Yes, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, good bye.”
“Good bye.”
(Both hang up)
Giggles were heard all over.

The phones were passed to the next two kids. The other side got to dial and the other receive.

(Phone rings)
“Hello?”
“Hi, is Jimmy there?”
(In a deep voice) “No, this is his dad.”
(Class erupts in laughter)
“Just kidding, this is him speaking.”
“I’d like to invite you over.”
“Ok, thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
“Thank you, good bye.”
“Good bye.”

I’m about the 13th on my side and I notice that my best friend Steve is directly across from me and I will get to call him. How exciting. We finally get our turn and me and Steve both have phones on our laps. It is my sides turn to dial.

I dial. I listen. (Busy signal)

Miss McNanny says, “Pass the phone.”
“But I didn’t get to talk.”
“PASS THE PHONE!!!”
I pass the phone to the girl next to me but Steve doesn’t.

(She dials and Steve’s phone rings.)
“Hello, is Steve there?”
“This is Steve. May I ask who is calling?”
“This is Audrey. Want to have pizza at my house?”
“Yes, please. Thank you for asking.”
“I’ll see you after school. Good bye.”
“Good bye.”

Now I admit, pizza is a pretty good offer but I was going to ask him to pretend to come over and dig a hole to China or maybe break a toy truck or something really boy like. But he gets a fake date instead.

Can someone explain how getting a busy signal taught me anything about phone courtesy? Singled out again.

Lesson learned: Even your best friend will leave you for a girl. Especially a girl with pizza.

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