Cathy Classics by Cathy Guisewite for January 19, 2025

It drove me crazy when someone left a long, slow message, then sped through the phone number at the end.

Collection agencies used to do this, maddeningly!! Thank God I got all my debts settled…

It’s worse now, with “voice-to-text” scrambling the message!

Give your name, number, then a “brief” message. Oh, wait, then you have to listen to WHY they called. No, I don’t want to buy a timeshare! Argh!

I’ve heard the phrase, “missed call is the new voicemail” a number of times. And that people these days are more likely to text than call. I still like to talk with friends and family though. Now if someone will just do something about phone trees and those robotic gatekeepers on business phones!

It’s simple. Say the number and then repeat the number.

I will admit I sometimes leave a message a little longer than brief before repeating my name and giving my phone number and I do say the number twice most time. I do this only if the message explains why they don’t have to call back.

Happy Sunday – and the sun is very bright today – but the temperature is very cold. Good day to sit inside and look out.

I always repeat the phone number, twice, slowly – like I want to be called back.

Yup—phones can be fun, can’t they? The text version of voicemails helps me a lot … when it’s accurate. But, phones working correctly would be no fun, if ya ask me.

HI, MOM. Happy Sunday, “Cathy” Clan.

With cell phones, chances are they already have the number.