We had one just like this.   It was hung on the perfect spot in the kitchen, between the broom closet and a glass brick window.   There was a ledge in front of the window that held the small black home phone book of personal numbers, a pencil and some paper.  The two large phone books, one white pages and one yellow were usually stacked on a chair that the youngest child sat on after they were out of the high chair. After that, they were stashed in the broom closet.

The cord was very long so my mom could cradle it on her neck as she moved around the kitchen, one hand running water, or cooking and the other holding the ubiquitous cigarette.   It was the only phone in the house for a very long time, until the parents had a second phone jack installed where it sat on their night table. I can still remember my old phone number plus the numbers of a few of my best friends.

We never knew who was on the other line as it rang but we did know it was someone we knew, so it was always answered.  If we were not at home, it just rang and rang.  The idea was that, a missed caller would keep calling back until someone was home.

No caller ID and no answering machine.  Man, how we roughed it.  Well, we never got calls from marketing companies or folks disturbing us as we all sat down to eat because that would have been rude. Everyone knew everyone else was eating between 5 and 7 so making calls at that time was only in case of an emergency.

Monopolizing the line for more than half an hour was just not allowed.  The line had to remain open just in case.  Of what, I am not sure but it was the rule.  Making a long distant call was a big deal and had to be discussed. Panic ensued if the phone rang and it was the operator requesting we accept the long distant charges from someone who needed to get in touch with us. I remember, as a child, hearing discussions at the kitchen table after the phone bill arrived.  My mother had cousins in Vermont and a sister in NY city so the occasional call was expected, especially if someone was planning a trip to see them.

When I was a teenage, I used the phone more.  I remember hearing about families with 4 or 5 children who installed a second line just for the teenagers!  Of course, the notion of having a second line just for me, in my bedroom was out of the question, but I fess up to a bit of envy. 

Calls to and from boyfriends were sweaty, nausating times.  What to say, who was lurking out of sight, listening to me, how can I squeeze more of myself into the broom closet without everything falling and making a huge crash. Parents yelling from out of sight, "Get off the phone and do your homework". Thinking about it now, the boys must have been in exactly the same sort of anguish.

The other rule my mother insisted on was I was never to call a boy, out of the blue.  It was implied that if the boy was interested in you, he would be the one to call. She was a wise person who innately understood the potential for teenage girls to become stalkers, even before stalking was an issue. She said she was protecting my reputation.  Apparently girls who called boys were asking for trouble.  I remember one time a boy called.  I was not home.  My father took the call and told me. The boy was calling to confirm a date to go to a concert; times etc..that I had already agreed to go on with him. I figured he would call back.  He never did, but I did get all ready for the date. He never showed up. Plus I never heard from him again.  He must have assumed I was one stuck up bitch, which was not the case.  I was just following the "no call to boys" rule.

When Frank and I moved here, we were surprised to learn our area was still on party lines. It was kinda confusing.  I was used to answering any sort of ring.  Now we had to wait to hear our particular combination. It was also annoying if I needed to make a call and it was already in use... sheesh!  In time and at more cost, the phone lines were upgraded to a single line per home.  We still only had one phone for the whole home.  Then we purchased an answering machine to get calls we missed.

Now we have 3 telephones in the house.  One is wireless and the other 2 are hard lines.  The wireless will not work when the power is out so back up is required.  Since we also live in a so called "dead zone", using a cell phone is pointless.  We do have one, but it is only used by either Frank or me, if we are in the car.  No NO... we do not drive and talk. When we see others doing that, we wish we had a machine gun mounted on the hood.  He may call me from work to see if he needs to pick up anything at the IGA or if we are going someplace, the passanger will use the cell to call ahead letting them know we are getting closer. No games or camera on our cell.  It holds numbers only.  Yes, I am of a different mind/time set and when it comes to THE PHONE. These are my memories.