How Phone’s Most Annoying Feature can Save your Life – Guide
Like my most annoying Phone Feature saved my life
My cousin left this message for me three months after my freshman year of college. His Chicago accent was so harsh I had to repeat it over and over again: aye cuz, answer yo phone, he said. I talked to my mom, she told me you were doing this. We were kids walking through Hyde Park, dreaming of everything we wanted to do, and you were there doing it. I am very proud of you because. I love you because you are true to yourself. You’re my inspiration.
The voicemail I received this morning was strange. It wasn’t from my boss, or my mom, or my cat. It was from a random person I’ve never heard of before.
My cousin’s voice reminded me of walking down 53rd Street, eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos soaked in melted nacho cheese while sweat ran down our backs. And after picking up the lemon pepper-soaked catfish nuggets from J&J Fish & Chicken, spend the day rummaging through Powell’s books. Your words – “I’m so proud of you” and “You are my inspiration” – reverberated inside my head.
I moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, to pursue a BA in African Studies a few months before receiving this message. The admissions office, my uncle, and everyone else didn’t know I was fleeing a city that had the same rhythm as my cousin’s voice. People always joke that we black Chicagoans are Mississippi in coats, and living in Massachusetts forced me to take into account my own demons and the feeling that somehow I was living on borrowed time because of the deterioration of my mental health. He was. I couldn’t interact with anyone for more than five seconds and believed that if the people I loved knew what I was doing inside, somehow Will unknowingly would persuade me to love less. So I ran. And although I consciously decided to leave Chicago, I couldn’t help the shock and discomfort that came with learning the sounds of another city. ..
My mind went to so many dark places that I found it difficult to sleep at night and I succumbed to drugs and alcohol. All the while, I’ve driven away the people I love the most. Soon they started leaving me messages that pretty much remained untouched, a little blue dot next to each one as they piled into my phone, waiting to be taken advantage of.
I was forced to listen to my cousin’s message when I finally did – why did I touch someone else’s blue dot? But when I did, after his voice connected me to a younger, sometimes happier version of myself, I decided to keep listening.
My father left me 10-second notes telling me about the oxtail he was cooking for dinner, miss, with an accent. Other times, he would just check in: I love you, my beautiful daughter. Talk to you later. Goodbye. A minute of message from my mother asking for God’s protection against the despair that might come upon her youngest child–worried that she might slip away from her grasp–Good morning, beautiful! Today is going to be a terrible day according to her; however, God has given you one more day to live–don’t let anything get in your way! You will have everything you need according to my mother! I claim this day in the mighty name of Jesus! My sister sent 50-second messages singing R&B and then 30 seconds asking for money from my nieces and nephews. ..
The messages from my family allowed me to slowly come out of my self-imposed sadness and isolation. Whenever I hear them, I’m taken back to Chicago - to my mother’s warm embrace, to blast Chief Keef’s “Almighty” late at night as we ride Lake Shore Drive, and to my family’s struggle stories. Now I keep my voicemail like little pieces of gold. ..
I’ve started copying messages from my grandmother onto CDs so that I can keep them with me and process them when I need to. The last note I left was with me a few weeks before she died of greed, and in it, she asked me to face her so she could show me her new hair color, saying it made her look 25. As I processed my anger and sadness toward a short life, I heard her message over and over, hearing the way she laughed make me feel, “Hey Renee Pooh.”
I shared the news of my sister’s death with family members who, like me, had a hard time accepting the fact that she was suddenly gone for good. ..
These recordings are endless. I have a collection of timeless audios that allow me to experience memory as many times as I want. The voice of my loved ones will always be with me. Ready to play. Ready to make sure I’m never alone. And so on.
Final note
How Phone’s Most Annoying Feature Can Save Your Life ..
