When I was 5 I asked for my own phone and phone number ... crazy huh that a 5 year old would feel her parents were on the phone so much it was cutting into her own phone time ... but I feel in love with the phone as soon as I learned about it ... to blow me off my mom said "when you're 10" ... I mean that was a lifetime away to a 5 year old and she was sure I would find something new by that time ...


boy was she wrong ... almost every single day for the next 5 years I reminded her that I was getting a phone when I was 10 ... with my own number ... every time we went to the mall I wanted to stop at the AT&T store and check out the phones ... [this was back in the day when the phone company suppled you with a phone ... you didn't shoot over to BestBuy and buy your own] ... I could have spent hours in the store checking out all the phones ... I had to pick up each receiver and test how it felt wedging it between my ear and shoulder like I saw my mom do in the kitchen ...


March 21, 1980 finally arrived ... my 10th birthday and I was home with a severe case of Chicken Pox ... the appointment for the phone was already scheduled but I knew if the technician hadn't had The Pox yet I wouldn't be getting my phone ... when the bell rang my mom cracked the door open a little bit and asked the installer ... I sat with my fingers crossed on the living room chair waiting to hear the verdict ... when she pulled the door open all the way I knew ... dynamite I was getting my own phone and phone number ...


I had carefully chosen the white princess phone ... compact design was good ... large receiver meant I could cradle it between ear and shoulder ... I sat and watched in amazement as he hooked up my freedom for me ...


unfortunately everyone was still in school and I wanted to test out my phone so badly so my mom wrote down my dad's work number for me and said ... "why don't you give him a call" ... my heart raced ... I dialed the numbers carefully ... when the receptionist answered I asked for my dad ... when he picked up I started laughing and cheering and said ... "guess what I am calling you from my own phone ... in my room ... with my own number" ... it was just so exciting ...


I still remember my first phone number too ... 714-962-1430 ...