Strange Places Strange Faces

Phone books, like the ones we have 'stored' in our phones can taunt and tantalize every single one of us. I, for one, get so caught up in having names and numbers in my book that I forget to purge old numbers. This reminds me of People Purging, a pastime I am celebrating once again this time of year. The old numbers in my phone book represent ex-girlfriends, the restaurants where we used to go together, work associates I no longer associate with, people I can't even recall and places I want to forget. How's that for a list? So, why do we keep these numbers stored? I think it's a game we play with ourselves to fool ourselves into believing we're more important than we actually are. (Think: He with the most toys wins) If that's so, my delusions of self-grandeur have reached an epoch proportion, and someone has to reign in my damn ego. I have hundreds of names and numbers in my phone, and dozens of names and e-mail addresses in my Hotmail Address Book. What have I done? I am besieged by the people, places and things I once 'coveted'. Alas, I know why I have most of these numbers there. It's the same reason I am a self-proclaimed 'pack rat'. I have to hang on to bits of the past. So, forgive me if I see Dr. J's number in the phone, or the number of the restaurant where I proposed to my ex-fiance, or the number of a building inspector in a city where I no longer do business. These aren't numbers I will likely ever dial again. But, I keep them there to remind me of bits and pieces of my past. For better or worse, those numbers take me to a place and/or time that are part of me. Eventually, as I am doing right now, I purge the numbers. I cleanse myself of the urge to call. I move on. For in the end, the numbers won't do any of us any good anyway if there is nothing or no one important at the end of the line.

Posted by Ike on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 at 6:35 PM | Permalink