When I flipped the calendar for the next quotidian quote… Friday, May 28, 2021
"Year by year the complexities of this spinning world grow more bewildering, and so each year we need all the more to seek peace and comfort in the joyful simplicities." Woman's Home Companion, 1935
As I still bumble around on my iPhone, this quote reminded me of a little brochure from the 1930s that I found in some family memorabilia. Why my father saved this is a mystery, but I’m following suit. Helpful topics include: “How to Dial, Ringing or Busy Signal, How to Disconnect, Party Lines, Long Distance Calls, Information Calls, Repairs, Emergency Fire or Police Calls, and Assistance”. ( Mabel on Church Street, no outsourcing to Bangalore!)
The formal wording is charming. Here’s an excerpt.
“The introduction of dial telephones in Rocky Mount provides the company’s patrons with the latest improvements in the art of telephony. The accuracy of service over the Dial Telephone depends upon the proper use of the instrument. Therefore, it is important that you understand the method of dialing a call. Because we are desirous that you obtain the very best quality of telephone service, we have issued this booklet which contains valuable instructions about the use of the dial telephone. If its use is not thoroughly understood after reading this booklet, you are urged to call at our Business Office where we shall be glad to give you a personal demonstration in the use of the dial and explain anything that may not be clear to you. “ J.T. Creech, Manager
Harried, stressed, overly busy, and complicated are not modern inventions despite our behaving as if the simplicity ship sailed on our watch. For every generation, tempering the wonders of the latest/greatest technology are the complications and busy-making.
We’d do well to remember the words of 19th century French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” The more things change, the more they remain the same. (Well, probably not Assistance.)