Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

There are those who think the ability to identify a caller before answering the phone is a wonderful invention. The phone rings, you look at it, the telephone number from where the call is placed flashes on a little electronic screen, and you decide whether to pick up or not.

In fact, there are those who don’t pick up at all unless they can identify the caller on the other end of the line. And there are those who read the Caller ID number, don’t recognize it, but then call back to confront the original caller. “Who are you calling?” “What did you want?”

I don’t use Caller ID. Even though my phone company forces me to pay for this feature, my telephone instrument is so basic that it lacks the little electronic display screen. I like it that way. There’s a certain mystery, an anticipation, of wondering who is calling.

Some argue that Caller ID enables them to talk with those people they want to talk with and avoid telemarketers in the process. I see this point; but, these days, with the federal Do Not Call program in effect, I personally receive very few solicitations. Besides, if I answered my phone only when I recognized the caller’s number, I’d probably miss that big time publisher who’s eager to work with me. In my line of work, it’s a good idea not to be too elitist.