UPDATE: The winner is…Shirley Long!
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This post will seem a little strange to some of y’all. Or maybe you’ll just think I’m really, really old (although my dd feels the exact same way!). Today, our family decided to do away with our landline. You know, the old-fashioned phone you plug into the wall that never lets you down, power or no power. After all, we have five cell phones in the house that have proven they work and connect in the worst of conditions.

You’d think we would’ve cut the cord long ago because, at $40 a month, it’s not an expense we need to pay. We never used it except when we (okay, I) called my cellphone number to find the damn thing.

However, that landline, with that number, holds a lot of nostalgia for our family and extended family. My parents had that number since the ’70s. When it was first installed, I remember we had a “party line.” For those who’ve never experienced it, a party line was shared with neighbors. When you made a call, you lifted the receiver to listen to know whether someone else was using the line. It was a pain in the ass when one neighbor hogged the line. You’d be polite the first time you picked up and quietly disconnect. The second time, you might clear your throat. The third or maybe fourth, you’d butt into the call and ask how much longer she would be. Fun times.

My mother was the hub for family information and reunions for the extended family. Everyone knew our number and would call regularly to chat. When my brother and I were stationed all over the world, we’d call that number to let the folks know how we were doing or when we’d be coming home for a visit. That line, that number, is part of our family history.

But today, it is no more. I’m heaving a big, heavy sigh.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, is there some object or service you had trouble letting go of because of the memories attached to it?