Dial M For Mine

This is back when I was eighteen. It’s after dinner, and I’m sitting with Mom and my aunt at the kitchen table. My little brother, who’s four, is playing with toy cars on the floor while I tell the story.

Me: “So… the guy I like at school finally asked me for my number today.”

Mom: “Oh! That’s exciting.”

Aunt: “Did you give it to him?”

Before I can even answer, my little brother, four years old, pipes up.

Little Brother: “Tell him to get his own!”

The three of us completely lose it, and my brother just looks confused. We explained how phone numbers worked, and he argued that all you had to do was find the name of the person in the phone and press it. I can’t believe I discovered my first generational divide from someone YOUNGER than me when I was still a teen!