Guest guest Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Information Please When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was " Information Please " and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy .. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. " Information, please " I said into the mouthpiece just above my head A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. " Information. " " I hurt my finger... " I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience .. Isn't your mother home? " came the question. " Nobody's home but me, " I blubbered. " Are you bleeding? " the voice asked " No, " I replied. " I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts. " Can you open the icebox? " she asked I said I could. " Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger, " said the voice After that, I called " Information Please " for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, Information Please, " and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, " Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage? She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, " Wayne always remember that there are other worlds to sing in. " Somehow I felt better .. Another day I was on the telephone, " Information Please. " " Information, " said in the now familiar voice. " How do I spell fix? " I asked All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much. " Information Please " belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown Operator and said, " Information Please. " Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well " Information. " I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, " Could you please tell me how to spell fix? There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, " I guess your finger must have healed by now. " I laughed, " So it's really you, " I said. " I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time? I wonder, " she said, " if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls. " I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. " Please do " , she said. " Just ask for Sally. " Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered, " Information. " I asked for Sally " Are you a friend? " she said. " Yes, a very old friend, " I answered. " I'm sorry to have to tell you this, " she said. " Sally had been working part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago. " Before I could hang up she said, " Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne? " " Yes. " I answered " Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you. " The note said, " Tell him there are other worlds to sing in .. He'll know what I mean. " I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant Never underestimate the impression you may make on others. Whose life have you touched today? Why not pass this on? I just did... Lifting you on eagle's wings. May you find the joy and peace you long for Life is a journey ... NOT a guided tour. i just had to share this ladyfire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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