This Really Happened

In light of the “Guy Talk for Girls” and “Girl Talk for Guys” article on pages 29 and 30 of this month’s issue of ec, I thought that a little more insight into some typical actions of girls might be helpful. And coming from someone who’s been there and done that, I hope you’ll take the following to heart:

Girls: don’t call boys. And don’t continue to call them if you call them and they say they are going to call you back but never do. I say this because I’ve been there. I’ve been the 15-year-old girl in the long-distance “relationship” who probably pestered the guy and his family with my weekly phone calls. I still didn’t get the point when the guy rarely called me back (and then, it was usually late at night, which made my dad really mad!).

I bring this up because recently, I was minding my own business, doing some work in my office, when my phone rang. My phone rarely rings, and when I didn’t recognize the number, I answered it in my most professional voice: “LifeWay, this is Emily.” On the other end, the unmistakable voice of a 14-year-old girl said “May I speak to Bill?” When I assured her there was no one in my office or even my department by that name, she decided she must have had the wrong number and hung up.

Thinking that was that, I tried to get back to work. When my phone rang a few seconds later, I wasn’t that surprised to see the same number on the caller ID. I answered, and the girl was surprised that I answered instead of her precious Bill. I tried to explain my phone number to her, and she tried to tell me the number she was trying to dial. In frustration, she hung up.

I didn’t even try to get back to work but just waited for the phone to ring again. Sure enough, it did. SURPRISE—same number on the caller ID. At this point, I am resolved to help this girl figure out how to call this guy. So I answer the phone, and she is still a little surprised that dialing the same phone number still makes my phone ring. (What’s the definition of insanity again?) I asked her where this guy lives. Mobile, Alabama, she says. OK . . . that helps. So with a simple Google search, I find that Mobile’s area code is 251. The same as my prefix.

When I tried explaining (over and over and over) that since she was in Nashville and she wasn’t dialing 1 first, the phone was just taking the first seven digits of the ten digit phone number she was trying to dial. And those first seven digits happened to be my number. So after explaining that she would have to dial 1 first, then the area code and the number, she thanked me and hung up.

Thinking the matter was resolved, I got back to work. A few minutes later, I got another call. Yep. Same number. I answered, and she said: “Oh. Huh? You again? Well, You were right! I dialed 1 first and got him. So he said he’d call me right back, and he hasn’t done it yet. So I’m calling him.”

“So how come you’re talking to me?,” I asked.
“Oh whoops. I guess I forgot to dial 1 first,” she said.

The moral of this story is: to make a long distance phone call, dial 1 first, then the area code. And second, girls shouldn’t call boys. It annoys them. They want to be the ones pursuing you, girls. Don’t try to force a guy to talk to you. Wait for the one who can’t wait to talk to you. Except for the occasional homework question or maybe if you need a date to a Sadie Hawkins dance, let the boys do the dialing!

Guys, sound off! Am I right? What’s your take on girls calling or texting you? Leave us a comment with your thoughts.