Artist: Jim Croce
Released: 1972
Lyrical Relic: Telephone operator
Operator, oh, could you help me place this call? See the number on the matchbook is old and faded She's living in L.A. With my best old ex-friend, Ray
If you wanted to track down a lost love in the pre-Internet era, your options were somewhat limited. You mainly had to rely on phone books and directory assistance. Poor Jim — his girl went off and left him for his best friend. He wants to call her, to prove that he’s OK about everything (which he later reveals isn’t really the case!) but he needs some help because the phone number he has has faded and is now illegible. Enter the friendly phone operator. And eureka – she found it for him! (I’m assuming it’s a “she” because male operators had always been a rarity)
“Oh, you’ve been so much more than kind” he tells the operator. Well, she’s really just doing her job… but Jim is appreciative nonetheless. Maybe he knows how stressful her job is (in a recent ranking of the most stressful jobs in America, Telephone Operator rang in at #5 (that’s out of 873 jobs!)
In the end, however, Jim decides not to connect with his old flame. Did he think it would be too painful? Did he decide that she’s not really worth it? In any case, he tells the operator that she can “keep the dime”, because that’s all a phone call cost back then. However, since a caller was never not charged for the call unless the requested party was reached, it’s a moot point.
Today if Jim called directory assistance, he’d likely be talking to a machine that uses voice-recognition. And the likelihood of getting that elusive phone number would be small because the database is comprised almost exclusively of landline numbers (only about a third of American households still have a landlines) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/wireless202102-508.pdf
https://www.onetonline.org/link/details/43-2021.00
According to The Occupational Information Network, there were about 4000 telpephone operators. They had always played an important role in handling emergeny calls as well as helping the elderly, children and those with physical disabilities make calls.
May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.
Modern-day Jim Croce could still rely on his trusty phone but it would have to be a smartphone. Just Google that gal’s name and a plethora of options for connecting with her before unfold before him…More than half of the world now uses social media, so he’s more than likely to find some heartbreakingly happy pics of her and Ray : (
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/wireless202102-508.pdf
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Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
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I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.