Hello, You’ve Reached The Morris’s
We have had this phone number since May of 2000. That is almost 8 years. For the first year we received more calls for the Morris family than ourselves.
After telling numerous friends and family members of Merlin and Colleen that this was no longer their phone number, we assumed the calls would end. We were wrong.
Although they come in spurts, we still receive calls for them. The odd thing is that over the past 8 years the Morris’s have either neglected to tell important contacts their new number or they are purposefully still handing out our number. I’m really unsure which.
When it started, there were odd calls at all hours of the night and when we explained they had the wrong number the conversation went like this:
Us: “Sorry you have the wrong number.”
Them: “What? This isn’t XXX-XXXX?”
Us: “Yes, it is but this is not the Morris’s.”
Them: “Well when in the hell did they change their number?”
Us: “I’m no expert, but since May 2000 this has been our phone number.”
CLICK.
Then, came the phone calls from businesses. They would leave detailed messages on our answering machine and over the years we have learned a lot about the Morris family. For instance, Merlin collects and sells stamps and coins, and Colleen gets her hair done at a local salon every Tuesday (if she remembers her appointment).
They at one time were very late with their car payment (maybe because they never got the message). Merlin bounced a check recently at the dry cleaners and Colleen was offered a part-time job with a grocery store last fall. I wonder if she took it?
Their kids did not visit this past Christmas because they had to work. I wonder what happened when they were expecting them for dinner and they didn’t show? They have a dog named Classy and bought a new Chevy car last year. Merlin is on disability due to a work accident he had a few years ago while employed with K-Mart. His lawyer still believes they can reach a settlement in his case.
What I do not understand is why after so many years, we keep getting phone calls for them. There must come a point when you are updating your contact information or someone new asks for your phone number, so why are they still handing out ours?
My husband was so frustrated at one point he wanted me to start handing out their phone number, because we found it clearly published in the phone book. But I kind of like getting my messages and not someone else’s. In some ways we have found humor in the situation. Every so often we call the Morris’s and ask for us.
This is fabulous! I love the writing style in this post. I”m totally giggling at the last line too.
ROSE FORD!
No, I’m not having a brainwash moment. That’s the lady who keeps using our number. Oh I wish I knew her number so I could do what you did.
Call them and ask for you. LOL
LOL have mercy their attorney doesn’t know their phone number? hello….
[…] Fenicle on receiving other people’s phone calls. […]
Ha! That’s so funny (annoying for you, but hilarious!) You could totally write a book about them! And…his name is MERLIN??!! ;P
I always got Desarae’s cell phone calls, except they came starting at about 11 every Friday night and then all hours all weekend.
Andi finally suggested that I call a number that was one digit off of mine 499 vs 449 and lo and behold, there was Des. Now at least I can give out the right one and hopefully they write it down!
I did get some angry parents though who had been given my number by their kids.
We get calls for a doctor that has the same name as my husband. Usually it’s bill collectors but other times it’s more interesting.
We’ve been here since Oct 2003, and we’re still getting calls for the Johnsons… mostly bill collectors and stuff like that.
But, calling their house and asking for yourself? Priceless.
you do? you call them and ask for you? you guys rock.
those Morris’ must have thrown killer parties, that’s all i can say.
Hello, I’m sorta back…better then yesterday..your post is so funny…I loved it..need some joy today, may start chemo Friday….
Hope your doing better..thought about you in between my eyes open and closed…understand so much more now about the HOSPITAL and how quickly you want to run out..
My best,
Dorothy from grammology
remember to call your gram
I can see giving a wrong number for collectors and such … but why in the world would you apply for a job and give the callback number one that you know won’t work?
And your kids? Your kids don’t have your number?
What the heck?
I love that you call them and ask for you. You should send mail to YOU at their address too! Since the information is so easily attainable in the phone book.
Just sayin’.
That is pretty hilarious. And, I think you’re right…they’re definitely still using the number as their own sometimes;>
Sounds like they could be considered senior citizens…possibly suffering from dementia? Which would explain their giving out the old number every now and again. Maybe they just really, really miss living in your house. It’s kind of sweet.
That is just plain weird. And funny. But I feel a bit paranoid now, we have moved quite a bit and I am wondering what kind of messages people have gotten for us over the years!
We receive phone calls for some one named Tham Dam…I am not kidding. We received one constantly over several months from a doctors office. Apparently it was really important to this person’s health as they (the doc’s office) was really concerned. I finally called them and let them know the number belongs to us.
Wrong dialing is one thing, but to keep getting calls over several years; yep, someone definitely still tries to use the number.
I truly, truly identify with this post! The last two phone numbers I was so lucky to have been assigned, previously belonged to people who apparently told NO ONE in their lives that their number had changed. It’s amazing what you can learn about people, just by the phone calls.
Eugene and Mildred Schneider had lots of medical debt. Mary Casey had some trouble with the law. I could go on and on….
Ha! My wife and I were laughing our heads off over this post! Strangely, we don’t laugh when it happens to us. And yes.. it does happen to us! What do people think when they hear our name on the answering machine, that the message must be a mistake? We’ve got some pretty sensitive information over the years from doctors, pharmacists, bill collectors etc.
Madness!