Two Free Hands

Two of them “down the drain”, and quite literally in fact, in the span of 6 months. Gerry didn’t consider himself to be a clumsy guy, but as he stared at his still-new cell phone at the bottom of the toilet he resolved his next stop would be www.headsetselect.com. Frustrating, he thought, why did she have to call while I was in the middle of a shave? One hand on the razor and the other still carrying enough residue that the phone might as well have been a slick bar of soap.

Not that you could put it all on slippery hands. A month earlier he had grudgingly granted an audience to his mother’s complaining while making his way to the back from a trip to the dumpster. He reaches out to open the door to the parkade and, POW- it opens simultaneously from the other side. Face full of safety door and Mom goes skittering just far enough to fall through the drainage grate. What are the chances?

Gerry resigned himself to it all, what’s done is done. Not-so-funny thing was, he’d had an inkling to look into a headset after the first incident but didn’t deem it urgent. He wished he’d had as he continued to stare helplessly into the toilet. No more putting it off, he took a seat at his computer and easily found the link at www.cymaxstores.ca.

Part of the reason he’d been leery of getting a hands-free headset was his perception that he’d look like the fully-grown equivalent of that poor kid in grade five who’s forced to wear their orthodontist’s headgear to school. You know, that overly-utilitarian look that only Tommy Lee ever pulled off while still staying cool behind the kit. Gerry was surprised to learn just how small and discreet they’ve become for those who wish to conduct conversations with both hands free without garnering strange glances.

A Plantronics Explorer Headset caught his eye. Sleek, compact and weighing less than one ounce, it met his style needs and he was further impressed to learn it was Bluetooth compatible with up to 33 ft in roaming capacity and provided 8 hours of operation on one battery charge. A Cellular Innovations Bluetooth Headset offered the same connectivity at a similarly affordable price. If his needs were slightly more simple, an Emerson Mini Bluetooth Headset would have been perfect – all the basic functions and an unbeatable price.

In the end, Gerry decided on a Plantronics Discovery 650E Headset with its multipoint capabilities, longer talk times and increased roaming capacity. The fact the price included free delivery to anywhere in the continental US made it all the more appealing. Safe and secure payment with the highest encryption protection available meant he didn’t even have to give a thought about ordering with is credit card, and next thing he knew it was done. Piece of cake.

What to do next? Send an email explaining why he “hung up” or shop for a handset? Of course, there was the less appealing task of retrieving the one submerged in his bathroom. He pulled it from its watery demise and dropped it in the trash, feeling compelled to speak some “shall not be in vain” reassurance to the ruined flip-phone before it became a rubbish bin celebrity.

As he passed his workstation on his way back to the bathroom, he saw his inbox light. Guess who – “Why are you not answering your phone!!”