I’m from Kentucky where “let me call you back” means enjoy the rest of your day!- Jay Ball (Chicago-based digital creator).

My friend Joseph Hunt, who lives here in Owensboro, shared this post on his Facebook page a few days ago. When I saw it, I immediately took a screenshot of it because I felt personally attacked.  I felt like I walked into the post office and saw my own profile pic on an America's Most Wanted poster.

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I know exactly the kind of person Jay and Joseph are referring to. You can point your fingers. You can pretend we're in that short story "The Lottery" and throw rocks at me.  I own it. I am that person- a true Kentuckian who can't be bothered to remember to return a phone call.

You'd think I would have better phone manners. After all, growing up, I was subjected to phone conversations with my stepfather. Now, Allan didn't necessarily forget to call people back, but he would end conversations ABRUPTLY.  When he was ready to get off the phone, he would just hang up.  No warning.  No pleasantries. We're talking. We're laughing. There's a sudden click, then a DIAL TONE.  No "Goodbye" or "Talk to you later" or "Love ya" or anything.  He would literally just hang up.  IT. DROVE. ME. CRAZY.

And now, wouldn't you know, I find myself doing the same thing.

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Chad Benefield/WBKR
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I have a morning radio show and I can't tell you how many times a day I hang up on some random listener. By the way, I don't do it to be rude. I have been programmed to just hang up when it seems like the conversation's over.  Multiple times a week I hit disconnect when someone's in mid-sentence. I immediately look at my cohost Angel and say, "Oops!"

I am also guilty of exactly what Joseph and Jay are describing.  When I told our editor that I was writing a story about how bad I am at returning phone calls, she sarcastically said, "I don't know anything about that." Truth is. She knows ALL about it because I do it ALL the time.

Just ask my mother.  She'll tell you.  A couple of times a week she and I will be chatting, I'll get another call, tell her I will call her right back, then, about 24 to 36 hours later, remember that I indeed forgot to call her back.  See!  "Let me call you back" really does mean "Enjoy the rest of your day."

Here's my mother lamenting what it's like to have a phone conversation with me.

As guilty as I feel about my horrid phone etiquette, I am comforted by the fact that I am not row row rowing the rude boat alone.

Joseph's friend Cindy Miller-Bowman actually amended the post. She says that "Let me call you back" really means enjoy "the rest of your week."  Okay, I have been guilty of that on occasion too. In fact, anytime I exchange numbers with a new person and become "cell phone official", I always give them this disclaimer- "If you call or text me, it may take me a while to get back with you. Don't take it personally."

What can I say? I'm from Kentucky.

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