This account was from fall 1982. Bob installed a doorbell because if someone knocked on the porch door we’d never hear them. A few visitors then walked away.

Of course, family didn’t need the bell. They just walked in.

Russell was almost three when he figured out how to reach the button for the bell. He loved that when he pushed it Mommy would show up and give him what he wanted.

This recording is what I wrote in my column all those years ago.

Today, there’s a doorbell on my backdoor, but no one uses it. People knock and expect me to hear their rapping. I don’t.

My real doorbell is my dog Sunny. If he notices knocking he goes toward the door.

If Sunny is sleeping deeply, he doesn’t hear anything, which is too bad for a passing salesman, but good for me.

So if you come knocking, remember there’s a bell. It really gets my attention. I usually jump a foot when it is buzzed.

Copyright © 2020 by Susan Manzke, all rights reserved