The phone and being far from those who are close

Being 8,000 miles of so from family is one of the very few aspects of being in Australia that Kristi and I experience as a drawback.  This week, I was reminded of the fact that we are far, far away from many people with whom we are emotionally close.

My youngest brother, who had a heart attack a few months ago, was helicoptered to a hospital in Texas one morning this week after he woke up and found himself virtually unable to breathe.

I got the news of his being in an Intensive Care Unit by email from another brother, but I’d shut down my computer and gone to bed about the time he sent the message, so 10 hours had passed before I learned that I had cause to worry.

Then I began using the phone.  Many calls later, I know now that Mike is feeling fine and going home tomorrow, although nobody seems to know why he suddenly had the problem.

My relief is palpable.  And my appreciation of satellite technology and cheap long distance calling is real.

I pre-pay for calls I make on my gotalk “ezichat” phone.  An automated female voice always tells me how much money and time I have left, before connecting to the number I’ve dialled in the United States, and I’m currently down to less than $10 in my account, but that’s nearly 900 minutes of talking.

So I just had a leisurely chat with Mike in his hospital room.  The connection was perfect and he sounded good.  Now I’m feeling fine, too.

Technology brings with it problems, but cheap and excellent calling from one hemisphere to another?  That is something for which I am deeply grateful.