There Is A Reason I Usually Don't Answer My Phone

When my phone rings, either my cell phone or my home phone, I usually don't answer it. I first look at caller ID to see who it is and then decide if I'm going to answer it. Usually I don't. It might be someone I don't want to talk to right at that moment, so I let them leave a message to see what they want and then I can call them back later. It might be someone, usually having to do with work, that wants to ask me to do something, so I let them leave a message so I have time to decide whether I want to do what they want me to do. I don't like being asked if I can do something and having to come up with an answer on the spur of the moment. I want to think things through before I commit to something. It might be a friend who I want to talk to but I just don't have the time right then, so I let them leave a message and then I will call them back when I have enough time to devote to a good conversation. It might be my neighbor that I don't like to talk to because he treats me like I'm his counselor and I should be able to sit and listen to all of his problems and then tell him exactly what he should do and exactly what he should say to people. I let him leave a message and I never call him back. Eventually he'll catch me outside anyway and then I have to tell him I'm in a hurry and can only talk for a minute.

The other day my neighbor was outside and was asking Mike how we are all doing and then Mike asked him how his mom is. She is almost 90 years old and is a very, very sweet lady. He told Mike he was worried about her because her health seems to be failing and he gets nervous when he has to leave her alone. Mike told him that he can call us anytime time he's gone and we (meaning me) can go check on her for him. Then he said to Mike, "But will anybody answer your phone?" I felt a little bit guilty about that. I don't know if he knows I avoid him on purpose or not.

Anyway the phone rang this morning and it was him. My initial thought was not to answer it, but then I thought of the conversation he had with Mike and I felt like I should answer it in case he wanted me to go check on his mom. So I answered it. Big mistake. Two hours later, after hearing an in-depth discussion about his ex-girlfriend who is an alcoholic and is getting a divorce and needed him help her but now he can't get a hold of her and what should he do and what exact words should he say to her and do I think he's weird (yes) and what would I do in that situation, I finally was able to get off the phone, but only because he got another phone call. He said he'd call me back and I told him not to because I was going to be busy. The only good part of the phone call was I got caught up on some neighborhood gossip. All I can say about that is we have some really weird neighbors.

I'm not sure what to do. I feel bad not answering the phone in case his mom needs something, but I do not want to get stuck on the phone with him for hours on end. He thinks that because I'm a court reporter I can give him legal advice. He always wants me to find out information for him and type things up for him, which I've finally quit doing after years.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! As I'm typing this he is calling me again. I didn't answer it and he hung up without leaving a message.

I have to say that in our circle of seven houses we've got the weirdest bunch of people (I'm not sure where we fit in), but luckily most of them are very nice and we get along great with them. I'd rather have weird neighbors that we get along with than neighbors that want to fight about everything.

Neighbors, you can't live with them (luckily) and you can't have them committed.