Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

Well, this is the time of year when folks begin their seasonal greetings to others. Back in the old, old, days people used the beat of the drums and smoke signals, runners and carrier pigeons to say hi. Then around 1830 Joseph Henry invented the telegraph and in 1835 Samuel Morse introduced Morse Code. In 1838 Congress approiated funding and it was off and running for telegraph communication and in 1881 The Postal telegraph was introduced and later in 1943 that merged with Western Union. In 1876 and things were coming together communication wise. A young man Alexander Graham Bell, had the brilliant idea to invent the telephone and the Pony Express rode to the rescue in 1860 delivering the mail cross country.

So no matter the medium people have been communicating with one another and today it’s as easy as a keyboard stroke. I'm guessing that email has become the most popular way to exchange greetings today and that has its merits; family members and friends can now stay in touch with one another no matter where they are as long as they have electricity! The other modern communication tool is the ever popular cell phone. By far that's the tool of choice for the younger market but they are also growing in popularity with older folks. They are handy, small, compared to the first ones, and the newer ones can do just about everything except laundry!

Despite all the choices at my disposal I decided I’d use the regular old telephone to call some friends and pass on holiday cheer but after a couple calls it became clear I’d be talking to another handy invention; pre-recorded messages and voice mail! I dialed around and got several of the generic “we are unable to come to the phone so leave a message” types which are as exciting as a bowl of oatmeal. I mean it’s like talking to a robot. Sure you can leave a message, but will a human ever get it?

Now those calls had been to people that are all business. Frivolity seldom enters their world so I dug into my black book and called a couple folks I suspect live for frivolity. That way I figured I’d get a human but no! The same thing, voice mail, but it was a heck of a lot more entertaining listening to their prerecorded blurbs. My first call was to a buddy in Texas. He lives in a dinky little town but has a Texas size imagination. The phone rang a few times then, “Hey ya all caught me at a bad time, just fixing up the place ‘cause George and Laura Bush are dropping by for a Thanksgiving BBQ and I gotta go shoot a turkey. Ya all leave a call back number and I’ll ring ya when the dust clears. Have a great day ya hear!” At least it was a human voice! Then I tried the always reliable Jungle George, a sensible man. His answer; “Hello, if you're calling for money press 9 and if you're calling to give us some money hang up and call back and let it ring twice then hang up so I know it’s you. I’ll be waiting for the two rings. Oh yeah, if you want me to call back leave a number!”

I could go on with some other messages but it was clear. We all like to say hi and this is the season so and with all the ways you can do it I’d suggest starting now, you might get through to someone by Christmas!!!