Dear Mitt,

You have been calling me nearly everyday. And while I appreciate your endless attempts to talk to me, I must admit, your endless messages on my answering machine are really starting to annoy me.

See, I got my answering machine less than a year ago. We lived for years without one and even though I rather enjoyed not having one, I constantly worried that we were missing out on important information. If we weren’t home, there was no way to reach us. Imagine all the calls we missed. Imagine all the big news people wanted to share, but couldn’t. Imagine all the people that just wanted to chat but were met with unending ringing.

So when we got our very first answering machine, I dreamed of having messages every night. After all, we were well-liked people, weren’t we? Clearly, our phone must have been ringing off the hook whenever we weren’t home.

Now, everyday when I walk in the door, I go immediately to the answering machine. At first, it blinked 00 at me - saying no one called, no one had anything important to tell me, saying no one wanted to sit and chat on the phone. But then you ran for office and my daily routine changed. For the past several months, whenever I walk in the door my answering machine blinks 01. I press the play button and here your voice. (My daughter loves this, by the way. She smiles and laughs whenever we check messages.) And there you are, saying the exact same thing you said in yesterday’s message! And every time my phone rings I full expect it to be you. Friends and family are tired of/confused by/annoyed with me answering "Mitt!?"

I might be more inclined to listen to your entire message if you actually changed it from time to time. But no, everyday seems to be the same thing. So Mitt, if you must call and leave a message, at least be creative.

Oh, and thanks for making me feel like I was missed at least once in the day.

Sincerely,

Jean