Leave Your Name and Number at the Beep. Please!

How long have telephone answering machines been in mainstream usage? At least 20 years, right? Nowadays people even have voice mail on the run, via their cell phones. So why do some people insist on calling dozens of times and hanging up? I think it would be much easier for all parties concerned if I received a quick message to the effect of "give me a call when you're free" instead.

The odd thing I've noticed is that most of the time people who call me and do this don't have an urgent need to talk and don't have a specific agenda. So why call dozens of times within a short time period? The other thing that gets me is that I have a couple of charming correspondents who will track down other people who might come into contact with me to ask whether they've seen or heard from me. When, eventually, I either get the chance to call or to pick up the phone and speak to the caller "live" it turns out to be about something that could've been discussed any old time at all, plus some idle chit chat.

I understand that not everyone works a full time job and has a house with lots of kids and activities as I do. And I'm flattered that I'm the object of someone else's attention. It's stressful though, to be the subject of the telephone track down, when there's absolutely nothing noteworthy to say. By the time there's an actual emergency, I may totally have walled myself off from all attempts at contact because of the "crying wolf" syndrome...or at least may not feel the need to respond until a couple of days later.

So let me be clear about this: I love you. I'm glad you're in my life. But please, for goodness' sake...leave me a message!

Thanks!!! (with hugs and kisses and hearts and flowers and little blue diamonds, even)