If you don't check your messages you can't be held responsible for returning the call.
It's easier to pretend the ringer is broken than it is to be honest. There is nothing to talk about.
Why ruin a good fog when the outcome would be embarrassing to everyone?
People have their faults and most of them are worse than this.
If you wind up not knowing where you are headed that might be a blessing
for the list of excuses it will add to your quiver.
"I didn't know you called" becomes "There was no way to reach me"
and that becomes an expectation.
It used to take hours to reach the fog but those became minutes
and then it was degrees between fog and removal.
Peeking from around the corner and walking across the room unseen
as you made your way up the stairs was a way of life.
That intent has sharp edges and leaves marks in transit.
Wearing long sleeves or a heavy jacket is a waste of time on those days.
Everyone can see the outline of my motivation.
It is neither showered nor brushed.
Walk straight out into the open and answer your phone.
The trouble saved is worth the effort of getting up and out of the blanket
and into the clear sunlight.