1y ago

"Unless the house is on fire or you are hurt, do not interrupt me on the phone!"

Hi everyone, this is a small but hopefully enjoyable bit of MC from my childhood. Way back when, my Dad worked in IT and worked from home. This is back in the early days of telecommuting and so most of his day was spent on calls in between actual technical stuff. The internet was in its infancy, so if he was working he really was working and not browsing the internet/just goofing off.

So, MC time. One day, 5yo me is walking around the house and wants to tell my Dad a story. I can't remember what it was and it's not important. But to me at the time, oh boy you can believe it was the best fucking thing since sliced bread - I HAD to tell him about it. Except he was on the phone with work with something important. So I did the only logical thing and told him anyway.

Me: "Hey Dad!" babbles about story

Dad: "Hey Bob, hold on one sec?" presses mute

Dad: "Hi bud, sorry but dad's on the phone, can you tell me later?" presses unmute, goes back to work call

Ok, I think, later is fine...

...approximately 5 seconds pass.

Me: "Hey Dad!" continues babbling about story

Dad: "Bob, I'm sorry, hold on one sec?" presses mute

Dad: "Hey little guy, Dad really can't talk right now. I'm on the phone with work. Please tell me in a little bit ok?" presses unmute, apologizes, back to work

...another pause...eternity for me...5s in reality

Me: the babbling commences once more

Dad: mute "Nick unless the house is on fire or you are hurt, don't interrupt me on the phone!" unmute

Now I always listened to my parents as best I could, but his instructions were pretty cut and dry on this one.

Me: smacks hand on forehead "Ow!"

Me: "Okay as I was saying!" babbles about story once more

My Dad lost it at this point and just burst out laughing. He ended up telling Bob he had to go and heard me out on the rest of my story. I was happy, he couldn't stop laughing and a good time was had by all.

That's it! Like I said, tiny bit of MC for ya. I've got a kid on the way so can't imagine the antics she'll get up to :)

23 comments

Adorable compliance!

YTA- wait sorry wrong comm
I was expecting something really dark; glad I was wrong lol

When i was in grade school, I went to a little hippie private school for a couple of years.
Right before Thanksgiving, one of my public school classmates transfered into our 3rd grade class.
We were doing an activity that had started out as stuffing guinea hens as personal turkeys, with ingredients brought in by students. However, most kids ended up bringing candy, and between kids eating candy with raw poultry in their hands and the relatively large number of vegetarian families, the school had switched to the vegetarian option, of stuffing spaghetti squash.
So its this girl's first day of school, shes been sat down a a table, a gourd has been placed in front of her, and theres a banquette of candy in the front of the room. So she asks me, the only non stranger in the room, whats going on. Before i can answer back, the teacher interupts with a snooty
"Now J, I know its your first day here, but at NNS, we raise our hands when we talk!"
She then begins her explanation, only to be loudly interupted by J, with both hands held high above her head as though in surrender, asking me
"Hey iordseyton, What the FUCK is going on?
- "Hey iordseyton,
  It seems you haven't adapted to your new nickname? 😉

Wholesome compliance.

I'm glad the story didn't go the other way with you lighting something on fire
- Or something else happening that is not him being hurt or the house being on fire, but he let it happen anyway since it's not part of the contract.
  
  That's 100% what I expected.

Man you had the best dad ever. My dad would have beat me black and blue for even being near him much less interrupt his work.
- With a pair of jumper cables?

Technically correct, the best kind of correct .

As the parent to a 5 year old, I feel this sooooo much.
I'm having to change my "just-a-second", as she takes it literally - a second is counted. I now say just-a-minute. Frozen got it bang on when Anna says "just give us a minute " and you can hear Olaf quietly start counting to 60.

Okay; that's really adorable :)

LOL! The best dad. :)

Damn that's a great dad! Instead of letting his frustration build he was able to set all that aside and appreciate the clever adorable thing only a small child can do. I bet he is glad he ended that phone call