In 1967, my brother moved to Canada, and later to the U.S. Owning a personal phone was unimaginable back then. Communication was limited to letters that took weeks to arrive, with no way to convey urgent messages. But we accepted this reality and managed without complaint. Even when I joined the bank, the thought of asking my brother to call was far-fetched—long-distance calls were prohibitively expensive. 

It wasn’t until the early '80s that my parents discovered the concept of a collect call. They would visit a friend’s office to make the call, and once my brother rejected the collection charge, he would call them back. That moment of connection brought great excitement and relief. 

In the early '90s, my office provided me with a phone. By then, calls from my brother had become more frequent, though they were still expensive. When my elder son moved to the U.S., his calls were brief due to the high cost—about a dollar per minute. We had no speakerphone, so when he called, my wife, younger son, and I would take turns rushing to the phone. 

Later, my son secured a job and gifted us cordless phones with a speaker. No more rushing to the phone or taking turns—now we could all chat together. Those calls were special, filled with anticipation, drama, and joy. 

Then came Skype, and with faster internet, video calls became the norm. Today, services like FaceTime make staying connected effortless. Just a simple, “Siri, make a FaceTime call to so-and-so,” and we’re instantly on the screen together. 

While modern technology has made communication easier and more frequent, the excitement of hearing our loved ones’ voices remains unchanged. It’s incredible how we’ve moved from a time when we couldn’t even hear each other to now seeing each other live in seconds. 

Technology has truly made the world smaller. 

Contd. 356. 1234...Dash