At the time I’m writing this, it’s been more than seven years since I’ve had a voicemail option on my phone. This is a wonderful way of living.
It started by mistake: I changed carriers and forgot to set up the mailbox. Some carriers have a default option, where callers are automatically directed to a generic mailbox. But this new carrier I’d switched to had no such option.
For the first few days after the switch, I kept thinking, I need to set that up. Then the days turned into weeks. A few people who called would mention it to me later: “Hey, did you know you don’t have voicemail on your phone?”
Yep, I knew. And after a month I’d decided that it was blissful.
In the years since, I’ve often heard from people—though rarely people I want to hear from, funny enough—who send me messages through other channels to “let me know” that they were unable to leave me a voicemail.
Sometimes the person sounds alarmed. Troubled, even. Worried on my behalf.
Their tone: Did you know your voicemail is turned off??
As if I will respond: Ohmygosh that’s terrible let me fix it right away.
It’s kind of like asking, “Did you know you weren’t conforming to the general expectations of society, that is, being responsible and returning every call regardless of how you feel about it?”