"Ma Bell" - She's Still Alive and Keeping Friends Connected

"There are three things that grow more precious with age;
old wood to burn, old books to read, and old friends to enjoy."
Henry Ford

A few grab-shots over the years

by Skip Cohen

I'm dating myself by referring to the phone system as "Ma Bell," but that was the nickname for the phone company...the Bell System, a massive conglomerate led by American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) that held a legal, government-regulated monopoly over telephone services across the United States and Canada for nearly a century.*

I'm still old school when it comes to appreciating a phone call rather than a text or email. It's the next best thing to a face-to-face conversation.  Here's why my appreciation for "Ma Bell" is on my mind right now.

I just spent an hour on the phone catching up with Matthew Jordan Smith. We've been friends for a whole lot of years, going back to my Hasselblad days in the 90s. But keeping in touch is a challenge since he lives in Japan and is 13 hours ahead of my time zone. We haven't caught up in a long time.

He left me a voicemail a few days ago, and we've been playing phone tag...I had just texted him to call me tomorrow morning when my phone rang...it was approaching midnight in Tokyo, but he was up.

For the next hour we covered just about everything in our lives - from politics in the US to business, photography, family, and friends. Here and there we wandered down Memory Lane and I'm still laughing. We used to catch up a couple of times a year at conventions, but neither of us travels much these days. Being on opposite sides of the world doesn't have to change a deep-rooted friendship. In fact, it was as if we ended our last conversation with a comma...it just took off and didn't stop.

Here's the bottom line and my point...there is no substitute for great friendships. You owe it to yourself to keep in touch with old friends and enjoy the benefits of a phone call when a live visit isn't possible. Rather than regret that Matthew and I haven't caught up in a long time, I'm so happy we did today. ​

So, to Matthew, thanks for keeping in touch and especially a friendship I cherish. I miss ya Buddy. You might be 7500 miles away but great friendships don't slow down just because of a few inches on the map!

And to all of you - have a great weekend and thanks for joining me today on the blog. Stay safe and take the time to chase down an old friend. It's one of the best ways to recharge your battery, even when you don't realize it's running low. 

* From Google

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"Sometimes the smallest things take the most room in your heart."
Winnie the Pooh

"We didn’t realize we were making memories.
We just knew we were having fun."
Winnie the Pooh