Tis the season for the thump on my doorstep. Living in a metropolitan area subjects you to the barrage of multiple large phone books. We have yellow pages, white pages and blue pages. I think there are some red pages too, but I haven’t examined the books closely in some time. Then there are city pages, county pages and community pages. It’s pretty insane. All total, I would say we get about 7 phone books a year all within weeks of each other. They arrive in plastic sleeves at the beginning of the week. By Thursday, our neighborhood recycling collection day, a majority of them are stacked up on the curb for paper recycling.
Even though the paper isn’t being thrown away, the entire process seems like such a waste to me. First, not everyone is inclined to recycle so some are making their way to the garbage. Second, when you think of all of the labor and resources that go into producing the books you get whether you request one or not, it really is astounding. With the advent of the internet, I honestly can’t even remember the last time I used a phone book. My guess would be I’ve gone approximately 5 years without letting my fingers do the walking through newsprint. Many of my friends and family members are cancelling traditional phone services and are turning to cell phones or VoIP options. Those who are staying with the good ole phone company are choosing to remain unlisted to try to curtail unwanted phone calls. Essentially, many of the people I want to call aren’t listed in a phone book anyway.
I’m sad to report the phone book is just one of those things that has long since died yet keeps showing up for dinner. It’s a bit strange to think of how little excitement I have over the thump on my doorstep. There was a time when receiving the phone book was thrilling. We’d immediately thumb through the pages to see our listing and those of our friends and family. The phone book would be wrinkled with constant use and stored close by for easy access. These times they are a changing.
