2008 Woodie Awards
The Courtney Snow Show
Awkward Phone Conversations Anonymous
Courtney Snow
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: Features
I am downright the most awkward person to talk to on the phone. As a child, I never talked on the phone because it was a huge anxiety issue to have to talk one-on-one with someone whose face was a mystery to me. Even to this day, I try to avoid making phone calls awkward, but there are no two ways around it.
On top of that, people would always confuse my voice with that of my mom's, so her friends would go on talking to me like I knew what their words meant, when, in reality, they were talking about adult drama to an eight-year-old girl. That doesn't say much about the brains of my mom's friends or the fact that at eight years old, my voice sounded like a mature woman.
Yet, as I've gotten older, I've adapted to the fact that phone conversations are almost always going to be awkward no matter what you do to try to avoid it; talking on the phone will always be an awkward concept that we all just have to get over and now that I am pointing it out to you, your phone conversations will soon become just as awkward as mine: welcome to the club.
Here are the reasons why phone conversations are and will always be awkward…
"You Go." "No, You Go.": Once a conversation is started, the initial five minutes consists of non-stop talking, but you will eventually reach the point where there will be a long pause followed by the two of you starting a new topic at the exact same time. Then you both utter the words that annoy me the most," You Go." "No, You Go." Who is the one that is suppose to keep talking? Yes, it's true, this happens in almost every conversation and there is no way to avoid it. If you have a solution, please let me know, but from my own experience, I usually end up staying silent so that the other person can continue with the conversation starter. Thus, it's my fault for making the phone conversation awkward from this point on.
Goodbyes are Never a Good Way to End: How do you say goodbye at the end of a phone conversation. Do you say, "Well, I better let you go" or do you say, "I'll talk to you later" or my famous line "I have to go do… something." Anything that can give me an excuse to get off the phone is reason enough for me, but how do you end a conversation that is obviously awkward? Do you make up a lie to get off the phone? YES! That is exactly the answer we've all been looking for… a little white lie that will release you from the inner pain of a phone conversation gone bad. My worst pet peeve when saying goodbye always come from a male counterpart. Guys… a word of advice, when you are done talking on the phone, at least say "bye" rather than just hanging up the phone because that is awkward for us girls who expect a cordial salutation.
On top of that, people would always confuse my voice with that of my mom's, so her friends would go on talking to me like I knew what their words meant, when, in reality, they were talking about adult drama to an eight-year-old girl. That doesn't say much about the brains of my mom's friends or the fact that at eight years old, my voice sounded like a mature woman.
Yet, as I've gotten older, I've adapted to the fact that phone conversations are almost always going to be awkward no matter what you do to try to avoid it; talking on the phone will always be an awkward concept that we all just have to get over and now that I am pointing it out to you, your phone conversations will soon become just as awkward as mine: welcome to the club.
Here are the reasons why phone conversations are and will always be awkward…
"You Go." "No, You Go.": Once a conversation is started, the initial five minutes consists of non-stop talking, but you will eventually reach the point where there will be a long pause followed by the two of you starting a new topic at the exact same time. Then you both utter the words that annoy me the most," You Go." "No, You Go." Who is the one that is suppose to keep talking? Yes, it's true, this happens in almost every conversation and there is no way to avoid it. If you have a solution, please let me know, but from my own experience, I usually end up staying silent so that the other person can continue with the conversation starter. Thus, it's my fault for making the phone conversation awkward from this point on.
Goodbyes are Never a Good Way to End: How do you say goodbye at the end of a phone conversation. Do you say, "Well, I better let you go" or do you say, "I'll talk to you later" or my famous line "I have to go do… something." Anything that can give me an excuse to get off the phone is reason enough for me, but how do you end a conversation that is obviously awkward? Do you make up a lie to get off the phone? YES! That is exactly the answer we've all been looking for… a little white lie that will release you from the inner pain of a phone conversation gone bad. My worst pet peeve when saying goodbye always come from a male counterpart. Guys… a word of advice, when you are done talking on the phone, at least say "bye" rather than just hanging up the phone because that is awkward for us girls who expect a cordial salutation.
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Joe Thomas
posted 10/08/08 @ 12:05 PM PST
Great article, I agree with you 100%! I must admit I am one of those guys you referred to that just hangs up - its a bad habit for sure, but I find it less awkward than having to say "goodbye". (Continued…)
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