Inane Answering Message Day

I have to admit...

I had no idea what this could be about and considered letting the day pass quietly by.  But... I persisted, Googled it and found some interesting information.

I’m not good with telephones. I don’t like calling people and am reluctant to answer a ringing phone if I don’t know who’s calling me.

When I finally prepare myself to make a call -  

The worst thing that could happen....

The answering machine.

Now I’m off my game...

How long does the beep last? Did I say everything I needed to before hanging up?  Did I leave my name? My number? Ohh, the pressure!

Now... imagine this...

I dial someone.

There’s a voice answering my call...

“Hello?”  I start talking, only to be interrupted mid-sentence with “Hello?”  This continues for some time before the voice finally admits that no one is home and I am to leave a message.  By now, I feel stupid and can no longer keep track of my thoughts and hang up.

This is one example of an Inane Answering Phone Message.

Another, is a whole group of people all yelling at the phone that they are not home and then giggling at the fun of it... Or maybe, there are two people, newly in love, saying a sentence at a time... Maybe a pet gets to leave their own message... National Inane Answering Message Day was set up to rid the world of the awkwardness of these terrible messages. (Imagine a world with no stupid messages...)

 Unfortunately, the Day’s title is ambiguous.

Some people have taken it to mean that the world needs more inane answering machine messages and whole masses of people take to their ‘phones in order to create stupid, impractical voicemail messages.

 Of course, there’s always the interpretation that sends some people to their phones to make prank calls... leaving crazy messages for people they don’t know.  I’m hoping that I won’t get a flood of such messages today!

There is a young lady who feels the opposite of me in this regard.  She has set up a website, requesting people leave her unusual and ridiculous messages.  Her name is Sarah Manolis.  Her website has the phone details if you want to listen to some strange messages... or even leave her one yourself!

Whatever the interpretation...

might turn my phone off today.

I found info. here and here.