Borrego Sun - Since 1949

You've seen that guy walking down the sidewalk, talking out loud, walking alone. Or that lady talking to herself on a bench .... They must've escaped the looney bin, right? No, they're having a telephone conversation! And we have to hear it?

Why should we have to get used to this behavior, that would have been seen as unusual not long ago? It's still rude. No one really wants to hear you engage with friends not visible, argue with inept healthcare coordinators, schedule your hair or auto repair appointment or instruct your babysitter how to mix a bottle of formula.

Enter the phone booth. Remember those glass privacy chambers available on every street corner for the purpose of having personal conversations? It is a shame they went away with the invention of the cellphone, which began as a car phone and morphed into a pocket computer that all your friends and associates cherish.

They're called 'smart' devices and it seems much of the population carrying one has minimal understanding of its functions, is always complaining about service providers, upgrades, cracked screens and how to properly share files and images. Sigh.

A new art installation has been envisioned and established at The Mall specifically for these people and these occasions. Step inside the Soroptimist Phone Booth. Have a seat and have a conversation. Lovingly constructed with reclaimed French doors by Rick Wisenor in Wynola, the custom cupola atop the piece is fashioned after British booth styles and shows his finesse with woodworking. Signage adorns the top and windows to announce its purpose, and the interior is made for comfort and supplied with the local phone directory.

Buy the Local Blue Book Resource Directory for a mere $10 donation. Have all the local and backcountry business and service listings all in one handy book. No need to google down rabbit holes or await answers and recommendation for connections via FaceBook. Own the knowledge! Not only do the Soroptimists collect and update the numbers of local residents, but we include informative advertisements from Borrego, Ramona, Julian, Warner Springs and other recommended backcountry phone numbers.

Soroptimist International Borrego Springs provides scholarships, grants and mentoring programs for local girls and women who want to gain confidence, direction, and further their education and career options. Your Blue Book purchase and ad placement facilitates these wonderful, ongoing programs in our community.

Me, I do not own a cellphone. I use two computers, an iPad and a landline with an answering machine. The peer pressure is great, but trying to see those little screens, typing on a tiny typewriter, dealing with Wi-Fi service providers and entangling another device in my web of personal information collectors turns me off. And everybody has a slideshow in their pocket that you must see. Yawn. In the '80s I lived in Fullerton and using a pager and the pay phone at Ralph's across the street was sufficient while I worked full time and attended college. Seven years I did that, no problem, low cost.

My parents MET working for Bell Telephone. Mom retired from Indiana Bell when they were urging early retirement. Both my brothers and my husband were electronic technicians using cellphones and the brothers, working later with fiber optics.

Enjoy your cellphones. But, "we can hear you now!", so, please, for the sake of others, step into the phone booth, and no one will see you as a rude dude. And get yourself the new local phone book. Good behavior still does matter, and supporting girls and women is more important than ever. Your Soroptimist Sisters appreciate you.

Windows on the booth are available for Mall and Center ad space! Inquire at the CenterMall News office, in Graphics You Can Trust print shop and gallery.