In my childhood, the telephone was attached to the wall in the kitchen, used primarily to check in with family. With time, a princess-style phone took its place on the night table in my parents' room. Always the outlier, I didn't talk much on the phone as a teenager.
From those old movies with people on the farm placing calls through Matilda, the local operator, to today's constant TV ads on the many wonders of the iPhone, something strange has happened. The phone has changed from a tool for bringing people closer to an instrument accused of creating alienation. Digital natives use the phone for texting, taking professional quality photos, sharing videos, and checking Facebook feeds. Actually talking to someone seems a rare event, at least on the ads.
Reversing the trend, I've been making calls. I'm inviting neighbors to meet local Democratic candidates and party officials at a house party next week. The 2016 election cycle has started, and I am reaching out to touch fellow warriors in the fight for social and economic justice.
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