Our new cellphone technology has so many options. The camera is amazing, the sound and compactness are great. My son watches shows, plays games, and searches for so many things. Back in my day when we searched, it was with a Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia many volumes. There are so many choices that you can make.
No one seems to have a simple ringtone anymore. The days of ringing bells are gone. We were all trained to respond to bells from school to home phone calls. It’s a good thing too since my dog barks at every bell that rings and the UPS truck. Being able to pick a specific ringtone that matches your style and personality is awesome. When your phone rings, you know it! No one else may have the same ringtone until…
The other day I was buying a new fishing rod at Bob Wards/Al’s Sporting Goods. They have a nice selection of gear and are not too expensive. As I was fondling my potential new rod, I heard my Ringtone go off. A Bull Elk was screaming his brains out in the store!
My phone is programmed with a Bugling Bull Elk call. The only problem was that my phone was not ringing or vibrating. It was another hunter’s phone ringing. When I looked up, I also saw 3 other outdoors guys looking at their phones. One had their wife in tow who was complaining about the annoying ringtone. My wife hates my bugling elk too.
Most women have a more musical or gentle ringtone that is less offensive than a screaming Bull Elk. Soundtracks from a love story movie, Madonna tunes, or… That is their choice.
I also use pre-programmed ringtones for my daughter, son, and wife. Each is unique and funny. When a certain ringtone erupts, I know who it is immediately. I also set my phone to not ring or vibrate if the call is from an unknown source. Thank goodness for the vibration mode. I often turn the sound low on my cell phone.
Back in the day, answering machines were huge. You had to program a small recording device that sat next to your home phone. I recorded fun and different responses that told callers that they could “leave a message after the beep”. My favorite was made using my kids to yell and scream as I was landing a big fish. They were shouting about how big the fish was, get the net, and oh my god that fish is a pig, and we will return your call after we land this Monster.
What’s next is scary! Hunters and anglers will never have any more secret spots. A GPS will monitor and locate your every hunting stand and fishing honey hole. Then an A-I call will come in asking how you are doing and if you will be voting for a Republican or Democrat.
I took my brother on an archery elk hunt when his phone went off. The church music sounded off loud and proud just as the bull was coming into range. He answered the call and the bull was gone. Private phone calls are supposed to be private. I don’t need to hear other people’s business, and they don’t need to hear mine. The silent call setting helps with this. How did we ever survive without a cellphone?
Technology can be fun and helpful. How did humans survive without it? Maybe next time I visit a secret Honey Hole, I will just chuck my cellphone in the lake. When it rings, I will hear a drowning Bull Elk Call. Time for a new ringtone!
But I will not be answering!
Montana Grant
