Reminesce - 1

Our children grow up so deprived! We had to buy an old telephone from the thrift store so that they would know what it was like to DIAL a phone. When I was young, in order to make a phone call, I had to stick my finger in a shallow hole over the correct number, then turn the dial as far as it would let me turn it clockwise, then release. I had to do the same thing for each of the seven numbers.
When the dial was released, it created a series of pulses that the phone system recognized. These were later replaced by tones, and one could buy phones that could generate either tones or pulses (in case you lived where tones were not yet accepted).
On top of that, people usually told you their number was ULysses 59380 or TUlip 44345 - the first two numbers being 85 and 88, respectively. Some brainy individuals recognized the numbers and used those. The rest of us looked for the U written under, over, or beside the numbers.
Of course, there was ample compensation for the inconvenience of having to dial numbers. If you were calling someone within your exchange (852- or whatever), you only had to dial the last four numbers in order to complete the call. Now, I'm not sure there's an exchange out there that will still allow this. In fact, in most major cities, you must use the area code as well, even if the call is not considered long distance.
Long distance? Oh, my! You only used that for emergencies or extra, extra special calls (great-grandmother turns 100, or some such thing) when I was young. Why? It cost $1 / minute, and Dad only made $200 or $300 / month. That was such a waste! Why, a letter only cost 3 or 4 cents to send.
Hey! Wait! phones and letters have swapped places. Now it only costs 3 or 4 cents per minute for the phone call and a dollar to mail the letter! It's beginning to make more sense to me now!