This is he

I recently called the mobile phone of a new acquaintance. We had exchanged numbers and set a time in advance. As the call connected, I considered what I would say.

Growing up, I recall the firm protocol, "Hello. This is Stephen. May I please speak to so-and-so?"

And to take an incoming call, the proper reply would be, "This is he." Of course it would be.

But today's technology changes how we connect.

When I call someone's mobile phone, I know who will answer.

And they know it's me calling.

The old lines of dialog, while courteous, don't seem to make sense anymore.

Gratefully, while I pondered these ideas, my new friend answered the phone: "Hi there!"

It turns out, sometimes we don't need to overthink things. Sometimes, we just need to say, "Hi!"

The rest falls in place naturally.