![](https://www.agingwithdonkuhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/background-noise.png)
I don’t mean to complain, but there’s this little thing that drives me a bit nuts.
It’s when a good friend or family member calls me. (Key: Remember, they call me.) I’m so happy to hear from them. I like them. I want to hear what’s up in their lives and I have a few interesting tidbits to share with them as well.
Then it happens. The background noise tells me multi-tasking is in full swing.
Often, it’s them getting the dishes in the dishwasher. Or I hear a sports broadcaster describing the action in the second half of a sports tilt. Or they’ve called me in the middle of their lunch and I hear them eating a ham sandwich with crispy potato chips.
I don’t say a word about the background sounds. I don’t want to be picayune. I appreciate they called.
As I age, I recognize how fortunate I am to be an integral part of other people’s lives. I’ll take the background noise. It’s far better than my phone going silent.