If you grew up in America several decades ago, you probably remember the sound before you even see the phone.

A number was called by placing a finger into the rotary dial, turning it until it reached the metal stop, and letting it spin back before dialing the next number.

There were no touchscreens. No saved contacts. No caller ID.

And if you wanted to call someone, you had to remember their number.

A familiar part of everyday life

Rotary dial telephones became a familiar sight in American homes during the 20th century. For many families, the telephone sat in a hallway, kitchen or living room where everyone in the household could hear it ring.

There was something very different about receiving a phone call back then.

When the telephone rang, you didn’t know who was calling until you picked it up.

And if someone else in the house answered first, you might hear:

“It’s for you!”

For children growing up during that era, the telephone was more than a way to communicate. It was part of everyday family life.

Remembering phone numbers

Today, a smartphone can store hundreds or thousands of contacts.

Back then, people often memorized important telephone numbers.

A friend’s house. A relative’s home. The family doctor. A neighbor.

Many people also kept a small telephone book or handwritten list nearby.

And there was one number that almost everyone knew by heart:

their own telephone number.

When the telephone was a family object

The phone wasn’t something that followed you around.

It stayed in one place.

That meant conversations were often very different from today’s private smartphone calls. If you were talking to a friend, someone else in the house might be sitting nearby.

For teenagers, getting a phone call could sometimes mean trying to find a quiet corner of the house — without much privacy at all.

A simple object that brings back memories

The rotary phone eventually gave way to push-button phones, cordless phones and, eventually, mobile phones.

But for millions of Americans, the old rotary telephone remains a reminder of a very different period of everyday life.

It reminds people of family kitchens, neighborhood friends, handwritten phone numbers and evenings spent talking without a screen.

Do you remember using one?

Maybe your family had one in the kitchen.

Maybe you remember calling your friends on one.

Or maybe you still have an old rotary phone stored somewhere in the house.

What do you remember most about using one?

Share your memory with someone who remembers the days before smartphones.