one last thing before I go

Below is a link to episode 597 of This American Life.  If you have not heard it you may want to listen.  It is incredibly poignant.  In particular the first half.  About the wind phone. 

 This American LIfe - One Last Thing Before I go

Have some Kleenex around.  Or a hanky.  Then go get that old rotary phone you have been wondering what to do with.  And start dialing. 

Comments

[Missy]

'Please be alive...somewhere,anywhere'..........have said this for 8 yrs. Grief is universal....thank you so much for this link. I am now working on getting a 'wind phone' to put in my woods for my family....and anyone who needs it.
Missy from the bayou

[Joan Coats]

Oh , Carol! Great blog. I listened to it in it's entirety and was riveted. I am sending this to five very special people who will "get it".
Two months ago I bought two of my grands vintage ,rotary phones. They work! The 6 yr old knows how to dial me . She called last evening and I was out feeding the birds and didn't answer. She just called me now and said ," Gramma , I called you last night but you did not answer ...but I talked to you anyway" .
SO Special for me.

[Liz]

I have a phone from probably the 30's that belonged to an old man in my home town - he lived in a train car that was hidden in "the toolies" (kind of like pampas grass as I recall) and he was "The Old Man in the Toolies" to us. I treasure that phone. We used it as our phone for years until the fiber optic stuff made it non-functional. It just sits on my hall tree now. I used it to call my parents this afternoon and told them I would call back again when I have more time. I have about 40 years of life to tell them about. And then my husband -- 25 years worth. And then the patching-up with one of my brothers - who knows if those two fellows could do it, maybe... This was such a great post -- yours always are. xo
Liz in Oregon