As I was walking into the office this morning, a man was fumbling through a large and heavy tote, about to pull out a big slab of dead tree and leave it in front of my office door. I could tell by the girth of the thing that it was a phone book.

A phone book? I haven’t opened one for at least 5 years, maybe more. I’m annoyed to keep finding them on my home and office doorstep. Trying not to sound annoyed, I asked the gentleman “do I have to take one of those?”

“No” he exclaimed. He sounded relieved to not burden me with it. “But would you mind signing that you took it anyway?” he asked.

“Will you throw it out for me?” I responded. “Sure!” he said, letting the book fall back in the tote.

So I signed his electronic receipt as “Stuart Smalley” and he scurried off. Walking past our trash bin outside, I saw him toss not one, but several of the heavy books.

This got me to thinking. Does anyone use a phone book anymore? Why to they keep publishing them?

I could not help but wonder what the Phone Company will do with that signature from Stuart Smalley. Most likely they use it to proclaim how many thousands of people still use the phone book. Thus the reason they keep publishing it.

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