"The phone"

My original book cover design showed the infamous phone from the book Madhouse. While I went another more bold route for the book design, that phone image is still near and dear to my heart.
Much like teens everywhere,  in the 1980's, I was addicted to my phone. Unlike today's teens, that meant being attached to a cord, a wall jack and seemingly impossible, one place! There were no cell phones, and cordless phones were new and expensive. Our house had two phones in it. One in the kitchen, where my mom could easily overhear any conversation, and one in my bedroom where I had some privacy. I eventually got my own phone line into the house, because my parents realized that was necessary if they were ever going to make or receive a call ever again. By today's standards I suppose it would be the equivalent of my getting a cell phone.
I remember buying my phone. My mom took me to Zayre, a long ago forgotten store much like the Target of today. When I saw the new-fangled, ultra modern, round phone I flipped and knew I had to have it. After only one of my many two hour conversations on it, I realized what a mistake that had been. I couldn't hold it in the crook of my neck and therefor my arm was constantly falling asleep while holding it to my ear. Even the smallest of tasks was impossible when on that phone, which now to me seems ridiculous. When I think about how much I can get accomplished with today's technology, I feel like I wasted years of my life span being glued to that stupid device. I can't tell you the number of times I dropped it either. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. I think I had a bit of an engineer in me when I would rig it to hold itself while lying on my bed. I would cradle it in two pillows and then simply place my ear next to it. The cord was stretched out and disfigured by my constant abuse and twirling of it, and the earpiece was a muddy non-color from the mixtures of many different hair dyes that rubbed off on it. It was a sad sight indeed.
Still I look back fondly on that phone, where I received and made many of the undoubtedly most pivotal phone calls of my life. How else would I have lived the adventure that I did. Sure I could've had one of Ma Bell's more boring phones but I've never taken the easy way out. So, while I thankfully still have full use of both my arms and didn't suffer any permanent nerve damage, I smile as I look on the image of my beloved round phone. I'm sure if you asked my old room mate Jody, she'd tell you I loved that phone, even if it did meet its final demise during one of my more heated debates with my mother. Modern or old fashioned, phones just don't do well when thrown against a wall....