My grandparents did not have a telephone in their home for many years, relying instead on family and friends to interchange information as needed. Eventually, they purchased a rotary phone with a handheld receiver and a clear plastic circle attached to the front for dialing phone numbers. If executed correctly, someone with nimble fingers and a small amount of patience could usually make a call in two to three minutes.
Their telephone number was connected to a party line, a circuit shared by multiple users. This meant if you picked up the phone to make a call and someone was already in the middle of a conversation, you quietly replaced the receiver and tried again later. Consequently, it was not unusual to be on a call and hear a click followed by subdued breathing, both indicators someone was listening to your conversation. If you confronted the eavesdropper and asked them to hang up and allow you to finish your discussion, you may or may not be the recipient of a few choice words. The party line afforded little privacy in a small neighborhood where most people prided themselves on knowing the business of everyone around them. Despite the rude interruptions of nosy neighbors, my grandmother rarely complained about the party line. Happy to have a way to communicate with her family and friends, she waited until the line was free to make her calls.
A party line is reminiscent of the weeds that grow in your garden and flowerbeds. Oftentimes, to cultivate the areas you want to fertilize and sow, you have to snip, trim, pinch back, and remove that which is unruly, that which is disagreeable. Hence, to create the optimum environment for strong and healthy growth, you have to prune the party line.
I remember the party lines. If you were expecting an important call you could expect a rise in your blood pressure.
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