Wrong Number

The phone rang at 8:30 this morning. I answered with my usual “hello”, expecting it to be a call for a doctor’s office whose number is identical to mine if the dialer transposes two numbers as it is listed in the phone directory. This happens to me all the time, at least whenever the patient uses the directory rather than a business card or appointment card from the doctor’s office. I usually tell the caller the mistake made and I am thanked for my help.

Sometimes a chat ensues about me being his receptionist free of pay or, jokingly, I tell the caller that someday I shall say “Oh, didn’t you know; Dr. B has retired”. (I suppose if I wanted to use a rather dark sense of humor I could instead say: “Oh, didn’t you know Dr B has been retired”.) Anyway, we both have a good laugh and wish each other a nice day. Two total strangers connected for a short period in time by a wrong number call.

Once I chatted with what sounded to be an elderly gentleman who was traveling quite a distance to see the doctor. He was from a small rural town on his way to his appointment in Tyler. He called to get directions to the doctor’s office and instead he had gotten me by accident. He was so afraid he said to drive in the early morning traffic in a big city, which Tyler seemed to him, coming from a town of a few hundred people. I told him how I too dreaded driving in traffic on my trips back to the DFW area to visit my children. He apologetically asked my age and when I told him I was 63, he chuckled and said he was 79. We laughed and he seemed to relax knowing that he was in good company with someone younger than he but with the same fear.

A connection, though short in time, was made between two total strangers, both of whom benefited from the conversation for I was made to feel good that I had in some small way helped another fellow being. And he found became a little less fearful.

However, my caller this morning apparently was irritated by having reached a wrong number for there was a click after my greeting and then the phone went dead. Now, how could I benefit from this lack of exchange? I could let the rude response upset me and affect my entire day. Or, I could imagine myself being the caller. Perhaps s(he) was on a cell phone, caught in heavy traffic, and really needed to get off the call once s(he) realized a wrong number had been dialed. Now, I can certainly identify with that for once I calmed an old man by telling him how frightening driving in traffic can be.

I always have at my disposal two basic ways of responding to any situation. I can respond in a negative way which hurts at best only me, at worst me and other people. Or, I can respond positively whereby at least I and others win or at worst I have a good day.

So the caller this morning with whom I failed to make a connection caused me to make one inwardly whereby I connected a little better with my inner self.