Wrong number

Someone called me on my mobile telephone. They were not speaking English and they asked for someone I had not heard of. I told them that I thought that it was likely that they had the wrong number. They did not comprehend and so the conversation continued. Eventually they understood what I was saying, but insisted that they did not have the wrong number, before hanging up.

Perhaps they were right – perhaps it was I who had the wrong number. On a related note: a month or so ago my wife accidentally sent a text message to an old mobile telephone number of mine. The number is defunct, though I still have the old SIM card in my possession. To her surprise someone answered her text, and obviously wanted to know who it was who was doing the texting. It took a few text messages back and forward to sort out the confused situation.

The fact of the matter is that when you buy a mobile phone these days you are probably being given someone elses old number. Conversely when you stop using a telephone number someone else will be given it. There are not enough numbers in the world, so they need to be recycled.

There is a deep and profound message to all of this, but I have not yet thought of it. Oh yes – Make the most of your telephone number while you have it, because one day you might have a different one.