Getting through in this electronic age

By Sun Advocate

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and it’s an important day, one that families have for generations created family gatherings and family traditions around.
But with many families when mother is not living close or in the same community, the telephone has become the tool to reach out and touch mom and wish her the best. More calls are made on this day than any other day of the year, including the winter holidays.
I remember the frustration a few years ago when I couldn’t get through to my mom. I thought it was because my mother lived in a very rural area in southern Canada and there weren’t enough lines to carry the added volume. I tried with great effort to connect with her late into the evening and each time I got a busy signal.
Of course things have changed over that time and many more lines and upgraded systems help to make quicker and faster connections even in the rural areas. But to avoid disappointments I have listed a few tips to remember when trying to get through to mom.
If possible call on Saturday. The volume Saturday will be substantially less the day before the big holiday and mother will be just as happy.
If you can’t call Saturday try and call early Sunday. The earlier the better. What a nice surprise mother may have if you catch her early and wish her the best day ever.
The peak times are between 3 and 8 p.m. Avoid these times because this is the period with the highest volumes.
If you get a message saying, “all circuits are busy,” just be patient and call again in a few minutes. The message happens when all of the telephone facilities into or out of a specific location are tied up. As other people complete their calls, the message will go away and you should be able to connect your call.
Just a reminder for those of you who may be calling overseas or internationally, dial: “11 – country code, city code, and number. International operators can be reached by dialing “00”. If you do not know the county or city codes for the area you are trying to get through to you can go to a website called www.countrycallingcodes.com. This site provides a majority of the codes currently in use.
Happy Mother’s Day and good luck getting through to your mom or whoever else you are calling on this upcoming happy holiday.