How many life lessons can one man learn while putting in quarters? You’d be surprised.
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Recently, I walked into a local grocery store here in Arizona to pick up a few items. I found what I needed and went through the checkout line which, for Mr. “I’m Independent, Damn It,” was a bit different.
The kind woman told me how much I owed and I asked her for four quarters among the change if she had it. I added that I was going to be using it for a pay phone, and I asked if there was one in the store somewhere.
“No, I don’t think we have one,” she said. “Pay phones … are those still around?”
After two-plus weeks of using them, I can guarantee her that they are still in use. Many people reading this who live in major big-city areas (New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Houston, etc.) are rolling their eyes.
Thus, here begins another round of life lessons in my world. Settle in, kids.
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How did this happen? Simple, I say, with equal amounts of sarcasm and humility dripping out of my mouth. A few months ago, my Internet service provider offered me a sweet deal to combine both their services with my cell phone company (names withheld because it’s not their fault). They said to me that it would be a discounted deal, so I said sure, go ahead and combine them both.
Now I admit that I’ve fallen behind in paying the bill and a couple of weeks ago they cut off the phone use until I pay the remaining balance. It’s not a small difference (please, no pity for me) and I let it get out of control.
Whac-A-Mole on me!
I take off from my home every day, walk a couple of blocks to the nearest convenience store, grab a Diet Coke and change, and hit the pay phone. I make a couple of local calls each day to check in with friends, letting them know that I still have a pulse.
One day I was out there and there was a young man, probably in his 20s, smoking an electric cigarette and looking pretty cool. He was dressed casually.
“Are you using the phone right now?” I asked.
“No man, I’m not,” he replied. “I’m just hanging out here for now.”
“Mind if I use it?”
“No, go ahead.” He grabbed his jacket and stepped away.
I stepped up, put in my quarters and made my call. He was still nearby while I was talking for a few seconds, then I turned around for some privacy. Yeah, like I’m out there at a pay phone thinking that I’m going to have privacy.
Instead of Ratso Rizzo’s “I’m walkin’ here!” from “Midnight Cowboy,” maybe I should have said “I’m talkin’ here!” real loud. Yet I didn’t.
Another time, the store manager came out for a smoke while I was beginning my morning routine. He has been overseeing that location for a few months. I told him that everyone was always nice (they are, no lie) and the place was pretty clean.
“I appreciate it,” he said. “I have good people in there. They know how to take care of things the right way.”
It’s these small conversations that, I choose to believe, offer me a lot of room for gratitude.
Even writing about this adventure or misadventure just leaves me feeling silly because so much of this IS silly, ridiculous, could have been prevented and are “first-world problems.”
Case in point: There is a dear friend of mine in Houston who goes out with a group of people who serve the homeless. Upon her most recent outing, she let a number of them use her own cell phone to call their mothers … on Mother’s Day.
Yeah, my pay phone usage was definitely put into perspective—as if it needed any more—real quick.
♦◊♦
It is quite easy for me to slip down toward shame, guilt and embarrassment over this entire fiasco. Thankfully, I’ve staved off those horrid internal beasts … yet not without a greater awareness of my financial life.
What have I learned from this situation?
- Get even clearer on my own financial life. I can right now, down to the penny, tell you how much I owe on this phone fiasco and other pending payments. No more “well, uh, I dunno” for me. Really … a 50-year-old man should know better. Then again, I’ve been reminded that it’s not healthy to “should” on myself.
- I do have people who care about me. I’ve been asked by a few close friends about the phone situation, so I have shared specifics with them (and I’ve avoided the bigger specifics with you). Pretty good for an old-school codependent like me!
- I’ve been humbled a lot more.
- I know that this entire thing is temporary. I will get the bills paid, back financially sound, and move forward in my life.
There are a few other lessons that are closer to my heart and, well, I’ll keep them there.
I will tell you that pay phones, when you need them, are a lifeline.
When you find a quarter or two along your own life’s path, hang on to them because someone might come along and ask if you have a couple to make a call.
Say brother or sister, can you spare a quarter?
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Photo: Getty Images
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