// The Call Back//

I don’t enjoy talking on the phone.

I’m not a “phone person” - this has been a reoccurring issue in past relationships, both romantic and platonic. I’m always very anxious on the phone and usually my instinct is to find a way to hang up. If you call me, I’m usually picking up and letting you know that I have to go. I think it might be residual conditioning from growing up with a poor and angry father. “Get off the phone!” was his favorite phrase besides “This is all your fault”. Some times I’d wise up and retort “we don’t pay when THEY call us!” and yes, I’d pay for that.

I prefer to talk in person. In fact, I’m known to schedule 1:1 or platonic dates with people because I genuinely enjoy connecting, digging deep and losing sense of time. But a phone conversation still feels like they started countdown to a beat down.

But something happened today. Chris Blair, my teammate on The Recchia and long time “improv wife” , left last week to get a one month jump start in Chicago to train and geek out in all things improv, sketch and comedy. I’ve been calling him every day seeking a download of his first impressions of Mecca; and he finally called me back.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been trying to reach all week, but it was the longest phone conversation I’ve had since the release of the iPhone 1. And I believe it was only 20 minutes long. I got lost in his stories, our plans for the summer, the excitement of taking huge risks together that I didn’t even hear my dad shouting in my head. We were like two excited/nervous kids about to go away for the best Summer camp ever. It was nice.

Most days I’m terrified of where my life will be after my Summer in the Chicago. Where will I live now that I’m off the lease? What will I do for money? Will I return to a completely different scene? But today I let myself get lost in the excitement of what’s happening now and for once not dwell on the aftermath. It was a good lesson on being present and relishing in the Now not worrying about the Later.

4 weeks and counting… I’m gonna miss my SF peeps this summer. Please keep in touch, via Skype.