Another change. . . . . .

There is a change on the horizon for my employer.

A merger. . . . of sorts.

Change is hard. I don't like change I fear change. It has been foisted upon me too many times.

I started to work for Mountain Bell

in June of 1976. I thought it would be a

good job until I got married and

had a family and was a full-time mom.

In 1984 I was still working, but a change took

place and the FCC and US Government

broke up the large monopoly that was

"The Telephone Company"

and I started working for USWest.

In 2000 there was a hostile takeover of

USWest by Qwest. The CEO of Qwest,

Mr. Joseph Nacchio, who took a page

from the Enron's of the world and just about

ran Qwest into the ground, but we survived. Today is my last day to work for Qwest.

Tomorrow, April 1, I will be employed

by Centurylink. I will have 35 years in the

telecommunications industry this year.

It has been a real crazy career.

Remember a hard-wired phone?

A landline?

If you are younger than 40 you probably

don't have a landline and why in hell

would you have a hardwired phone.

I miss those days.

Before caller ID, when you could

prank call someone, that was real harassment.

It was fun!!

I miss getting in the car and driving to St. George

and knowing that if there

was a car problem, I could

count on the goodness of a passerby

to help me. Because the world was

a nicer and kinder place in general.

I have not embraced the new

modes of communication. I miss the

simpler life. I hate lots of things

that so called progress has brought us.

Cell phones and drivers make me crazy.

Cell phones in grocery lines make me crazy.

Cell phones ringing in church makes me crazy.

Cell phone commercials make me crazy.

I hate cell phones.

I loathe twitter.

I despise facebook.

I shudder to think that e-mail could try to

replace a real piece of paper

posted and arriving at your home,

with a hand-written note from

an acquaintance or loved one.

That little rant said. The "phone company"

has been very good to me. It has provided

a paycheck for me every other week - without fail!!

I think I only have 15 more years and

I can retire. I wonder what the

name of the company will be

then!