Home Return to sender
Local

Return to sender

Chris Graham

Stop the Presses column by Chris Graham
[email protected]

312_stopthepresses.jpgEver call a wrong number and then have somebody call you right back and give you hell?
“You just called my phone number. What the #$%^ did you want?”
And you want to say – “I was trying to call my wife/sister/best friend/chiropractor/somebody else important, but, you know, sometimes you mess up.”
Only by this point, you’re not nearly that civil.

You know, because, I mean, what da dillyo, right?

Well, this was about to happen to me the other day.

“Heather, this is Chris … Heather? … Heather? Hello!”

I was trying to call my sister-in-law to get directions to an MMA training academy in Harrisonburg where my brother-in-law has been training some recently, and obviously she was having trouble hearing me, or something, because she kept saying, “Hello? Hello? Hello?”

Turns out it wasn’t her.

“Hi, this is Nicole,” said the person on the other end of the line a few seconds later when she called me back.

“Were you trying to get me on my cell phone?”

“Um …” I started, then apologized for having misdialed.

Her next words startled me.

“Oh, no problem. Have a nice day,” she said.

She didn’t curse me. Didn’t accuse me of having tried to sell her something, which happened to me on one misdial a few years back.

“No problem. Have a nice day.”

It was a tiny gesture, but it came across big-time to me.

Chris Graham is the executive editor of The Augusta Free Press.

Support AFP




Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

Latest News

uva baseball chris pollard
Baseball

UVA Baseball: How are we supposed to feel about Pollard throwing his guys under the bus?

tv
Etc.

AEW ‘Dynamite’ ratings back up post-Darby Allin nightmare title run

The weeks of decline in viewership for AEW “Dynamite” that coincided with the illogical move to put the world title on a skateboard goofball saw a reversal after the title switch at “Double or Nothing.”

matt augustin uva baseball
Baseball

UVA Baseball: RHP Matt Augustin among three ‘Hoos entering transfer portal

No surprise here, that Matt Augustin, a 6’3” righthander who was only used seven times in 2026 by the new UVA Baseball coaching staff, is in the transfer portal – one of three ‘Hoos to enter the portal on Monday.

lgbtq
Politics, Virginia

Marriage equality is the law of the land, sure, but, take nothing for granted

stephen colbert
Politics

Video: #TeamAFP plays the ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ 15 questions game

government money
Politics, U.S. & World

Developing: Trump backing away from slush fund that Ben Cline had no problem with

earth planet ecology environment recycle world
Politics, U.S. & World

Earl Zimmerman: What’s making news in climate, energy, environment