COMMUNICATION

 Communication in my lifetime.  Long distance communication is what I'm talking about.  Not necessarily telecomminication.

1940s  The first I was aware of was my mother, standing on our porch, screaming my name, "Oh Pat!"  That told me it was time to come home.  If I was having great fun, I could pretend I couldn't hear her.  

1950s  We did get a phone in our house when I was young. Phone number Melrose 0643.  A black, dial phone and I think we had a private line; one phone, in the dining room, for five people.  My grandmother had a party line in her house. 

1960s  When I was in the service, I had a radio/phone near my desk and in the jeep when I drove it.  

1960s  After the Army and in our first home, we had a phone, I think.  I can't really remember.  I assume we did.  I hated the phone and used it less than sparingly.  I had one on my desk at work - a slimline.

1970s In our second home, we got a wall phone so the little kids couldn't reach it. It was centered in the house in the kitchen/dinette.  Later, I put a long cord on it when the girls were preteens.  Phones became very cheap and I eventually installed several around the house. 

1980s  When CB radios were all the thing, I had one in my company car.  Actually, I had about three of them in my car all together but not at the same time.  They were easy to steal.  I was a victim.

1990s  We moved up to mobile telephones in our cars when they were available.  Never had one of those stolen but they were not 100% reliable, either.  I felt pretty special with that big old telephone bolted down to the floor.  Passenger cars didn't have bucket seats and consoles at that time. 

2000s  Now I had a Blackberry mobile phone in my pocket.  That was the cat's meow.  Great little phone.

2010s  Somewhere in here I went from a Nokia stick phone, to a Sony flip phone, to an Apple #5. At home we had a pair of Panasonic phones you could carry around the house;  we felt rich.  

2020s  I graduated to an Apple #7 and then a #11 to carry around.  At home, we got rid of our land line; that's full circle from 1950s.  Of course, we could now video call on our phones or iPad tablets.

I can't even imagine what I may have in the 2030s - I'll probably be able to talk to you without a phone at all.