Not all that long ago, while traveling overseas, I’d find a phone booth and call my family to confirm I was still alive. I even memorized my AT&T calling card number: 843-138-2192-6219. Before everyone ten years old and older had a mobile phone. Before sending a postcard was replaced by sending a selfie.
If the phone booth was still present, I’d lookup Sosna out of curiosity. Today, phone booths are almost non-existent, phone books often not even published. I doubt I’ve checked in the last fifteen years….until last week!
While in Frankfurt, Germany I visited the Museum of Communication Frankfurt which displays a phone booth (nostalgia for old farts, confusion for youths) and which has an actual 1990-ish Frankfurt telephone directory. At the time, Otto (and his family?) lived on Hermann-Küster-Straße. Unknown if he’s still alive as internet searches show nothing, but for one shining moment…
