Week 10, Zanna: Every Time the Phone Rings

Does anyone under the age of... I dunno
30?... have any idea what this is?

The Exercise: Each time you hear a telephone ring. chime, or buzz, stop what you are doing and take three mindful breaths to settle the mind before answering. If you get very few calls a day on your telephone, set an alarm to ring several times a day, using a long but unusual interval, such as every fifty-three minutes.  When the alarm rings, stop and breathe.

I have to confess I completely failed this exercise.  I got a grand total of 3 phone calls during the week, and each one I picked up right after the first ring.  I can't help it.  Even in the name of blogging, I can't help it. It is so much part of how I was raised that I can't stop myself even though I know I should.  I was always taught that it was rude to leave someone hanging on the line... even when it severely inconveniences me or causes me to put myself in harm's way.
Back in college, about 20 years ago now (ugh), I was rooming with my friend Anita and living one door over from my friend Corinne.  One afternoon, Anita and I were completely wiped out and taking naps, she in her lower bunk, me in my loft bed.  Corinne called to see what we were doing. The phone rang once. Anita didn't stir. It rang again. Anita was still sleeping. I panicked that it would ring again and so I started down from my loft bed, but missed a step and landed flat on my back... and STILL managed to pick it up during the third ring. I was annoyed at the whole situation... but Anita and Corinne were mad at me for hurting myself to not inconvenience them.  Intellectually, I get that most people are decent and kind... and really don't want to see anyone get hurt... but I can't help it.
Since this, and all the exercises in the book, are more about mindfulness than about successfully meeting challenges, I guess it's not fair to say "I failed".  I was mindful... as I picked up the phone. The one time it was Chris and not some other person with whom I had to be professional, I answered the phone, "Oh crap, I was supposed to let it ring".  "Um... nice to hear your voice too, love" he responded.  *sigh*

Five Ringy-dingies. No wonder I'm not a star like Cher.

But it's not just about the phone. It's about taking time to stop and breathe.  I didn't set an alarm.  Mostly it was my panicked, "Oh no, I'm forgetting to stop and breathe" thoughts that acted as an alarm, but I suppose panicking about not relaxing enough is a bit of a looping issue.