I like to keep my phone turned on. I want to keep it turned on for two reasons. First, I want to be available if a loved one calls. I do not have unlimited minutes available for gabbing, but I do want to be available if someone I love calls, wanting to talk to me about something important. A family member or friend may have just passed away, for example. In this case, the person would be grieving and would need to talk to someone. I would want to have my phone turned on so that I could be there for him. I might not know exactly the right thing to say, but I hope that I would at least be able to let him know that I was there for him and that I was happy to listen. I would also want to hear good news from friends and family, of course.

A friend may have just published a book, for example. She is planning to go on tour to promote it. I would want to know where she will be going on her tour. I would want to invite her out to lunch before she took off, and I would want to wish her a safe and successful trip. In addition to keeping my phone turned on so that family and friends can reach me, I also like to keep it turned on for another reason.

I am enjoying my blog, and I am hoping that someone who has been reading my articles will call me to ask me to come speak. I understand that speakers make decent money, and I could use this money to support my family. While I like to keep my phone turned on, there are two situations when I will turn it off.

First, I turn it off if I go into a movie theatre. I do not want to be bothered by a phone call while I am watching a movie, and I do not want to disturb other moviegoers. Therefore, when I go into the theatre, I turn off my phone. In a situation like this, I will usually turn my phone back on after the movie has ended and I have left the theatre.

I also turn my phone off if there are repeated lengthy calls that use up many of my minutes. One or two calls that are no more than five minutes long are fine, but repeated calls in which people talk at length are another story. My minutes will eventually run out, and then I will be unavailable.

If people keep their calls very brief and do not call very often, on the other hand, I will be happy, and they should be able to reach me.