According to Pew Internet.org, “As of May 2013, 91% of American adults have a cell phone.”
Wow! Whatever did we do before cell phones?
When Lon and I were first married, cell phones were anything but commonplace. For one thing, they were too expensive for the average person. So why then did a newly-married couple with no money to their name own a cell phone?
I should explain.
We didn’t actually own a cell phone. Well not a real one anyway. Instead, we purchased an imitation cell phone – a toy – that looked just like the real thing from Shopko for $3.99.
Then we took to the roads and cruised around town in our classy 1980 Dodge Challenger, which we nicknamed “The Little Brown Caw” (using the word “caw” instead the word “car” for a fake New Yorker accent, even though we weren’t from New York, but that’s a story for another time).
Lon would drive and I would “chat” on the phone, hamming it up for the onlookers who pulled up next to us at the stoplight. I could see the confused look on their faces. Why would a couple spend more on their phone than on their $150 mode of transportation?
Years later, we owned a real cell phone. Yep, one of those Motorola phones in a bag with a curly cord.
Today we still have adventures with cell phones. Case in point:
When I first owned a cell phone with texting capabilities, I quickly realized the hazards of texting when I decided to try it for the first time. 
Feeling rather suave with my new phone, I texted Lon the words: “Hey Babe, wanna do lunch?”
I waited for his reply, but soon realized I had inadvertently texted the last person I had spoken to on my phone rather than Lon.
Yes, you guessed it. I had just asked the a local repairman if he’d like to do lunch.
Or the case with my mom. On her way to visiting us this summer, she called Lon from the road. “Hey Lon, this is Mom.”
Sadly, Mom had misdialed and was actually speaking to some unknown man. He told her he had no idea who she was.
But she thought it really was Lon and that he was teasing.
“Oh, come on Lon. I know you, you’re just joking around with me. You can’t fool me. I’ve known you way too long.”
The man continued to insist he had no idea who she was.
After many minutes of lengthy back-and-forth chitchat, Mom eventually realized it really wasn’t Lon.
And finally, the case of my grandma, Nanie, and her recent adventure with her cell phone.
Nanie is still attempting to figure out her new cell phone. As she was flying to see some grands and great-grands, she was happily chatting on the phone. What Nanie didn’t realize was that she wasn’t the only one in on the conversation.
She hadn’t figured out the speaker phone button and everyone on the plane was privy to her conversation with her friend!
Some time later, a fellow passenger tapped her on the shoulder and asked if Nanie knew her phone conversation was being broadcast all over the cabin of the plane.
Nanie wondered why her friend on the phone seemed to be speaking louder than usual. 🙂
What are some of your hilarious moments with cell phones?
Penny Zeller 