Today I missed a call from my financial advisor. I was home. I was not on the phone. He called me on my cellphone, which I use only for emergencies.  Another example of my communications pet peeve: people using the wrong number to reach me.

Get it straight, people!

I missed a get together with my highschool friends because they did all the planning and inviting on Facebook, but I was in a different Facebook subgroup.

One friend only texts me. Another only reaches me via Gmail, which I rarely check because I only use it for shopping and membership information. Some longtime friends use my landline but sometimes forget and use my cell phone.

I have a personal email address that I’ve had for about 30 years and a landline I’ve had for almost 40 years. I thought I was being quite nice to make my friends only need one phone number and one email address to reach me…but somehow, I’m supposed to remember that this one uses Gmail on her smartphone and expects an immediate reply and that one only uses Facebook.  My contact info for my financial, medical and professional service providers all specify my land line as the best way to reach me.  They all use my cellphone. Which is turned off. And in my purse.

Let’s go over it one more time

I’m not doing this to be crochety (well, maybe a little).  But I have also explained to all these people repeatedly that I have a hearing disability and extended use of the cellphone makes my ears hurt and leaves them ringing.

I’m running out of room, patience and memory to remember which communication channel is preferred by which friend. If people want to reach me, isn’t it incumbent on them to figure out how I wish to be reached?

What’s your communications pet peeve? 

But that’s me.  What about you?  My pet peeve is having to juggle and remember the tangle of ways people use to reach me. What’s your communications pet peeve? Let us know in the comments!

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send your suggestions for Open Threads to her at editor@seniorplanet.org.