17 Comments
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Lee's avatar

Cathy -- agree with this 100%. Did want to let you know that there is typically a way to turn off seeing yourself with most of the video call software. If you must do a video call, that will help a little!

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

I did know that. But although I might not see my talking face, the other(s) would, and I'd still be anxious about what they were seeing!

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Not The Enemy's avatar

"FaceTime makes you self-consciousness in a historically new way." Oh, yes.

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

Thanks-- that's my favorite line of this post!

Can you explain your handle, "Not The Enemy"? So curious!

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Not The Enemy's avatar

Hi Catherine! Not The Enemy is a play on the assertion of a certain someone (his name spelled backwards is Pmurt) that the press is the "enemy of the people." Having spent my career as a newspaper journalist, I quite vehemently disagree. :)

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Mark Thompson's avatar

I like the idea of "Facetime Grandma," though. Any reason why you can't publish that?

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

Only the usual reasons, which you well know. Primarily: not enough followers to interest agents or publishers. Am guessing I’d need at least 30k.

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Megan McCarthy's avatar

So much more intimate when it is voice only. Think of days past, when we would listen to storytellers such as Jean Shepherd spin their imaginary worlds out on the radio... Pure magic. And I agree about interviews. Back in the day for a couple of magazines, I did profile interviews. People were so comfortable speaking with me over the phone. It was like pillow talk, as if our conversations would disappear magically with dawn. However, a few months later, in black and white print with color photos, there they were revealed to all!

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

I would listen to Jean Shepherd in bed and marvel that his stories always ended, brilliantly, at exactly 11:30, when he went off the air.

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Louisa's avatar

1000%!!!!! You nailed it.

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Shadia Fayne Wood's avatar

I completely agree! It's an unpopular opinion in my family. Everyone wants to facetime or zoom or "back in the day" skype and I've often found it unsettling. I occasionally like a facetime but I mostly insist on voice to voice these days. And, I wish we still hand landlines, i miss the old big physical phone.

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

Of course, that big old phone also delivered better voice quality! Still, when it comes to the grandkids . . .

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Francis Dumaurier's avatar

Amen.

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Melissa Knox's avatar

Gee, I love FaceTime but Zoom even more. FaceTime is just for when Zoom's down and I have to hold my phone. But I'm only talking to one old friend at a time and if I'm in a snit about my ropey old lady neck then so is my pal, about her own. But former Zooms of department meetings---hoooeyy! Got a few funny essays out of those.

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

I wish you hadn't said "ropey old lady neck," because now it is engraved upon my brain!

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

I wish you hadn't said "ropey old lady neck," because now it is engraved upon my brain!

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