Keilin_4's Journal, 28 June 2019

It’s true. You’re not obligated to be at someone’s beacon call. It’s important to respond, but on your time, not theirs. 

I know, I am not answering not because I don't want, it happens that I didn't hear the phone, my little one didn't told me about it (he ignore phone calls or messages when he is using YouTube), my signal is terrible here,etc. I just don't like their negative thoughts. 🤯😨 

I'm shocked people still phone you. Everyone in my life texts. Could be because they got tired of me never answering. My cell phone stays on DND most of the time. 

They text me or call me, last month we did not pay the phone bill on time, they cut it off, so I stayed one day without phone, they came to my house; "I was about to call the police" 🤯🤦‍♀️  

I’m the same. And the less I answer the more they call text etc. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my life and I don’t have to answer my phone if I don’t want to. (Meaning I’m in the middle of doing something else, just can’t deal with them at the moment, I’m dealing with my own crisis, etc.) People think if you don’t respond on their time table, you’re somehow being rude. 🙄 I’m not responsible for other people’s insecure feelings. It’s taken me a long time to realize that. 

Exactly! I am having a hard time, dealing with my own already and their excessive concerns about me are making my life harder. I am everything but a obsessive person.  

No ! I’m the same way ! 

My mom always thinks I’m mad, no I’m busy 

No, OMG, I totally agree!!!! I'm the same way! People think we need to drop what we are currently doing to take a call!! It's crazy!!! Yes, Rosio, Moms are famous for that! :)  

I remember running to answer the phone as a teenager. ☎️ Once the answering machine was invented, no more running.  

Good for you Roboto! 

I'm with you! I get so angry when someone gets mad at me for not being at their beck and call! 

Nope. Same here. 

Martyr once phoned and left 15 voice mails in six hours. I asked her 'what was the thought? That if I didn't answer on the second call I'd definitely pick up on the 12th?' I think people get hyper and concerned. The one's that baffle me are the ones who think we still have answering machines to screen the call. They'll get my voicemail and linger and say things like 'pick up, please.. I need to talk.' I just shake my head. My friend gets her voicemail translated to text so she can read and decide.  

Gosh almighty YES! And back in the day, a person had to actually come home to hear voicemails (if you had a recorder). There were no mobile phones to be accessible 24/7. Life has changed so much and it gets crazy.  

And then there were draw backs— breakdown on the freeway in a bad part of town- at night, your kids are out and overdue to be home. My sister (who has a million illnesses) shuts her phone off or let’s all calls go to voicemail. I’m 100 miles from her and after a couple days of not being able to reach her I have had to occasionally jump in the car and drive down to check the situation out. But people do EXPECT you to answer the phone — I silence my phone when I am out with other people — if they are worth spending time with they deserve your full attention.  

I have a phone for my convenience only. I use it for my convenience only. If it's truly an important call, they will leave a message and then I will return it. I do NOT interrupt anything or anyone to take a call. Who I am with or what I am doing deserves my full attention. I do, however, call back everyone who has left a message. My friends are used to how I use the phone and think nothing of it.  

I am sorry you feel pressured, Keilin_4. I hope you can strike a balance. There is no way I could handle the pressure of being tied to a cellphone all the time. This is why I am one of the few remaining hold-outs. No cellphone. Just won't have one. My time is my time. If someone cannot reach me by landline or email, oh well. I have high anxiety issues and suffer panic attacks.  

Thank you guys for letting me know I am not alone! 💙💞 I wish I could shut my phone off lol, I don't want to hurt their feelings, but I am feeling a lot of pressure, I have anxiety issues too. It's sooo hard 😐. 

This isn't a cellphone issue at all, this is a people issue, and it is also a them problem, not a you problem. Life's too short to be majoring in minor things, like ratcheting up the drama because someone didn't immediately respond to an inquiry. You can call them back long distance..... ... collect (can you even do that anymore lol).