I Hate Telephones

Maybe "hate" isn't the appropriate word for how I feel about telephones but it is probably pretty close.  Telephones can be a wonderful thing... but they can also be a pain in the butt.  We need telephones for medical emergencies but I am having a difficult time thinking of any other reasons we really need them nowadays.  Most of my family interaction comes via social media (Facebook, email, etc.) these days and I very seldom use the telephone anymore.  When I say "telephone" I mean the one that we call a "land line"... the one that is hardwired into the house.  I really think these are soon to be another dinosaur in the big scheme of things.  I figure they will follow the transistor radio, pagers, and vinyl record albums into the archives of oblivion very soon.
Why do I despise telephones?  Mainly I hate them because they are an invasion of my privacy, which is the only reason I should need.  I value my privacy and I do not appreciate it when it is invaded.  I get telephone calls when I am trying to sleep, when I am busy doing something I feel is important, and when I am just sitting here enjoying the silence.  Maybe 1 in 100 of these phone calls is pleasant, but most are calls reminding me about doctor's appointments, filled prescriptions that have been filled and need to be picked up, requests for donations, political surveys, etc.  Once in a great while I get a telephone call that I really enjoy... but that is a high price to pay for the intrusion this blasphemous device brings to my solitude. Yes, I could just turn the ringer off, but then I might miss that "important" phone call that we all seem to be waiting on but never comes. What a mess.  I am thinking that it won't be much longer before I decide to just toss this infernal thing into the river.  I don't really need it anymore.
My wife has a cellphone and she loves it.  She has a large family and they are very close.  The cellphone allows her to stay in touch with them and to access the internet as well as take pictures of memorable moments.  I can even text her on it using my email client on my computer.  Cellphones aren't bad... as long as they belong to someone else.
There was a time in my life when I thought that I couldn't live without a telephone.  That time has passed.  I really don't need a telephone anymore.  Is that a bad thing?  I don't think so.