I think that's one of the most difficult things in any relationship - in order to build anything, you must be together. You can't build anything over the telephone.
~ Julie London

The telephone is just like everything on this good earth.  It is beneficial in ways, but at times it is an infernal nuisance.  Some people use it for devilish business, spreading rumors that continue to grow like weeds down the chain.  Others, in a better use of the phone, employ it in contacting their distant relations (literally).

The telephone, however, can be an unseen enemy.  Constant use of it can cripple us in our participation in real, genuine personal contact.  One can become so accustomed to chatting on the phone line that they find it difficult to communicate in "real life". 

There is, of course, also the danger of endless noise.  One of the most depressing things about modern society is its insistence on constant activity.  Every second of our day we are expected to be talking on the phone, engaging in social networks, Tweeting our current activities, and "living" in the "web community".  In all the fast-paced chaos, humanity and personal thought is often lost.

One important aspect of sanity that I feel is highly underrated in our present world is the value of plain old silence.  It can do wonders for the mind.  Have you ever had a long, rough day and, upon arriving at home, simply sat down, and relished in the silence and absence of noise?  It's a pleasure that so few will ever get to experience as our noise-driven world continues to turn on and on and on...

I hope the reader will forgive my ramblings on such a minute object, but I somehow feel that the telephone speaks volumes about the dangers of our postmodern society.  In such a society, people are tired of the daily grind and are searching for personal connection.  While the phone provides this, it can never compare to face to face interaction.  The Internet and phone are very dangerous in that people can convince themselves that they are "sociable" and are not alone simply because they use them constantly, while never actually making real contact with anyone.  Through these artificial social mediums, people can live and die, believing they are enjoying their fellow man, without ever experiencing the real joy of relating with others.

So the next time you pick up the telephone, remind your self of other, more personal, ways you could communicate with the person you are about to call.  It may just make all the difference in the world to the both of you.