Page 14 - Jo Dee C Jacob Girl Scouts CEO

Bitchin’ & Moaning

By Judith A. Habert

Is that Call for Me?

Women in Business Directory
The other day I got home from work just in time to catch my son a new person emerges. This high pitched, new extremely femi-
and daughter in a winner take all battle of the siblings. I am not nine, perhaps even prepubescent voice comes out of her mouth.
going to say it was the first time this has happened, matter of fact it You spin your head around amazed at what you are hearing, then
is more likely that I will walk in on one of their notorious fights than you think about it for a moment and realize that yes, you too have
not . What is it about brothers and sisters that cause this constant the “phone voice.” Some refer to it as the “work voice,” but either
bickering to occur? way it is definitely not the voice
I would say it is the that you use in the house
male vs. female with family. Perhaps, women
thing, but when my believe that if they sound more
older daughter lived feminine and younger they
at home the fighting will be thought to be so by the
ensued with my two person on the other end of the
girls as well. The phone. The irony is that this
difference was that phone voice occurs even when
within ten minutes we are speaking on the phone
they would be joking with people who know us, see
and hugging again. us every day, and know exactly
This isn’t the same what we look like.
with the other two; The funny part is that once
they do eventu- the call ends, the voice goes
ally start speaking back to what it was before. So
civilly but it could on this particular day when
take days or weeks. I walked in on the fight, the
What amazes me phone rang, the fight momen-
14 even more is the tarily paused and as soon as
fact that if the phone the call was over, my daughter
rings for either of went from feminine, profes-
them, the loud rau- sional high pitched execu-
cous sound of them tive assistant, to New Jersey
yelling insults at House wife during one of their
each other instantly numerous family brawls.
disappears and their Is this something that is inbred
voices sound like or do we learn it? My vote is
nothing is wrong, inbred, since the voice change
especially if the occurs when we are little girls
caller on the other who want Daddy to do some-
end is a member of thing for us or buy a special
the opposite sex or toy. We do it to boyfriends
a friend or colleague when we are trying to get them
from work. to see the movie we want or
I do think my daugh- take us to the restaurant we
ters can accomplish want or even go with us to a
this better than my family barbeque. I sit here
son. There is a very trying to think why it is that we
good reason for this need this special voice? Maybe
and that is that wom- it is a mask we wear so that we
en have the “phone can compete in a male oriented
voice” in their genes. business world? Or maybe we
Now, if you think just want to show how multi-
about it, we have faceted we are; we can be a
all heard it. There down to earth housewife or a
you are sitting at the high level executive. Why the
dining table when voice change should promote
your daughter, sister, this I have yet to figure out. I
aunt, or mother suppose it will be one of those
gets a work related mysteries that may never get
phone call. Suddenly, the woman you have been carrying on a solved. Unfortunately, I need to go break up another fight….darn
conversation with for the last hour, whose voice is so deep nor- kids - I wish the phone would ring.
mally that she is often mistaken for a man, picks up the phone and