Oh, young Luda. Gotta love it. This song doesn’t really apply but it came to mind so here you go!
A few weeks ago, I made one of the hardest decisions of this year. (I’d say of my life but that would just be over-dramatic.) Sure, getting a tattoo, cutting off my hair, accepting a new job, finally having “that” conversation with my roommate were all important and took guts. BUT giving up the phone number I’ve had for nearly 8 years was a big deal. Not only am I too lazy to remember another number (since 2001, it’d just rolled off the tongue) but getting this new number meant something more important: giving up the 615 area code.
I am originally from Nashville, TN. While there are things about the city and region that I can’t stand (race relations, ignorance, allergens, men with grills, etc), Nashville is home. Mother, grandmothers, childhood home, high school friends, familiar restaurants, great hairdresser, you know, all of the important things. 🙂 As a high school senior, there was nothing I wanted more than to get out of Nashville and Tennessee. College (luckily) was never a question. I just knew that I was not staying anywhere with a TN in the address. So I told myself I’d go to whatever school gave me the best offer out-of-state. I was blessed to be an above average student with high PSAT scores, from a middle-class family, a female and a minority. For schools looking to offer “merit-based” scholarships, the combination doesn’t get much better. I’m not foolish enough to deny that. However, that could be an entirely different “Shades of Understanding” post. In fact, the school I actually attended was the school that gave me the second best offer but that explanation deserves another “Shades of Understanding” post of its own. In due time. In due time.
Anyway, I attended Iowa State University. For all accounts, it was a good school. Like anywhere new, there were things that were less than ideal and just plain sad, but I met some wonderful people, received a good education and was given several wonderful, life-altering opportunities. But obviously, Ames, IA was not home. So I never changed my cell phone number. I knew I wouldn’t be in Iowa for more than four years. There was something rebellious about keeping my hometown phone number. I WOULD NOT become a resident of Iowa. Sure, it just made sense at that time to keep it. TN was still a part of my permanent address and drivers license. Holding onto that 615 wouldn’t really mean anything until I had a new permanent address.
3 1/2 years ago, I accepted a job offer in Austin, TX and moved. Not everything has been perfect but it’s been good. I don’t regret that move and have come to appreciate the city. I still don’t know if Austin’s going to be home but until a new target city emerges, I’m perfectly content here. Two months into my stay, I got a speeding ticket and had to get a TX license to qualify for defensive driving. That was pretty painful but legally required. Not having a real choice makes it easier to choose. Since then, I’ve done pretty much all things Austin and Texas. I’m still waiting to purchase my first pair of cowboy boots but give me time. The one thing I hadn’t done was change my phone number. Somehow 512 just didn’t sound as good as 615 to me. 8 years is a long time to have a relationship with anything. In this digital age, your cell phone number and email address are really a part of your identity. I preferred to remain identified with Tennessee.
So what made me finally give it up? Money. I wish it was something more poetic but it’s just not. My new gig provides stipends for cell phones and smartphones if you agree to use them for business. Seeing as I’d already put my work email on my Blackberry, I figured I should accept the stipend. The amount is actually like 150% of my regular monthly bill. Ok, I’ll take that. I’ll make a little profit for doing what I was already planning to do. The only issue was that since we’re an Austin-centric business, it only makes sense for employees receiving the stipend to have Austin numbers. So save a little money or hold onto an area code that means nothing to anyone but you? Ok. Don’t be stupid.
Sure, I’d had that number for almost a decade. Yes, my grandmothers know the number. Sure, you’d run the risk of losing touch with old friends. (But then again if you were really that close, you’d find a way to get in touch. I’ve had the same email address since 2001 also…) But I’m also 25, have lived in Austin for more than 3 years and it’s makes financial sense to change. Done.
I sent a mass text to the people in my phone that ended with something like “Please update my number or use this as an excuse to lose touch.” I got some negative responses to that but that just means they were paying attention. The people that didn’t respond were handed their way out. 🙂
Still struggling to remember my new number,
Jo’van
The Truth: According to Jo'van 