I was too small to reach the telephone, but I was accustomed to listen to with fascination my mother to speak to him. I, discovered thereafter that in some share, in this marvellous apparatus, lived a fantastic person - its name was " Information PLEASE " and there was not only she did not know. " Information PLEASE " could provide the number of no matter whom in addition to the exact hour.

My first personal experiment with this " engineering in a bottle " occurred one day when my mother had left to a neighbor. I had fun with the basement and, I gave myself a violent one blow of hammer on a finger. The pain was terrible, but it did not seem y to have reasons so that I shout... I were alone and nobody could hear me and comfort me.

I took the hundred step around the house, by sucking my finger for finally arriving in front of the staircase... The telephone!!!! Quickly, I ran to seek the small stool in the kitchen and I trailed it until front the telephone. I am assembled above, I took down compound and placed it against my ear. " Information PLEASE " say I in the microphone, just above my head.

A click or two and I intend a small clear voice to say " Information ".

I say then, " I was done badly with the finger ", " you do bleed? " asked me the voice. I answer him " Not ", " I struck myself the finger with a made hammer and that very badly ". It asks me then " can you open the ice box? " I answered him that yes I could. " Then, takes a small piece of ice and poses it on your finger " says me it.

After this experiment, I called " Information PLEASE " for anything. I asked him of the assistance for my geography and she said to me where was Montreal. She also helped me with my mathematics. She said to me that the small squirrel, that I had found in the park, the previous day, was to eat fruits and nuts.

A little later, my small canary died. I thus called " Information PLEASE " and told him my sad history. It listened to me attentively and told me the usual things that an adult said to comfort a child, but I was inconsolable. I asked him " Why the birds sing so marvelously and get joy with the families so much, to only finish like a heap of feathers in the content of a cage? "

It probably felt my deep distress. And says to me then, of a voice if calms " Paul, always remembers that there are different worlds where one can sing ". In a certain way, I smelled myself better. Another time that I used the telephone: " Information PLEASE " " Information " answered me the voice, now become so familiar. I ask him then, " How spell you the word repair? ".

All that occurred in the town of Quebec. Whereas I was 9 years old, we are moved with the different end of the province, with Baie-Comeau. I was bored my friend terribly. " Information PLEASE " belonged to this old box out of wooden of our family house, and, curiously, I never thought of using the new telephone set shining, posed on a table, in the corridor, close to the input.

Whereas I moved towards adolescence, the memories of these conversations of my childhood never left me. Often, at the time of the moments of doubt and difficulties, I remembered this soft sense of security which I had at that time. I appreciated now, patience, comprehension and the kindness which it had to devote of its time for a little boy.

A few years later, whereas I moved to the College, in Montreal, my plane was to make a stopover in Quebec. I thus had nearly half an hour between the transfer of plane. I thus spent 15 minutes to the telephone with my sister, who always lives in Quebec. Then, without really thinking so that I made, I composed the " 0 "... and says PLEASE " Information ". With surprise, I heard this same small clear voice then that I knew so well, " Information ".

I had not envisaged anything of all that, but I intended myself to say to him, " Can you help me to spell the word " repair "? ". A long moment ago of silence. Then, I heard a so soft voice answer me: " I suppose that your finger must be cured now " I put at laughing and say to him " They are thus always you ". I shine known as " I wonder whether you have the least idea as you were significant for me during all these years ". " I wonder " says it, " if you know how much your calls were significant for me. I never had children and I was always impatient to receive your calls ". I said to him how, so often, I thought of it during these last years and I asked to him whether I could point out it, when I would return to visit my sister. " Please, you will not have that to ask Sally " answered me it.

Three months later, whereas I was again in Quebec. A different voice answered me " Information ". I thus asked to speak in Sally. " Be you a friend?" asked me the unknown voice. I answered him Yes ", an old friend ". I did not intend the voice to say to me " I am sorry to have to say that to you, Sally did not work any more but part-time these last years because it was very sick. It died 5 weeks ago already ". Before even as I do not have time to hang up again, it says to me " Wait one minute. Do you have me says that your name was Paul? " I answered " Yes ". " And well, Sally left a message for you. It wrote it, if you would call. Let to me read it to you ". This message said " Known as him that I always believe that there are other worlds where one can sing. It will know what I want to say ". I thus say to him thank you and hung up again. I knew what Sally wanted to say.

Never underestimate the influence which you can have on the others.

The life of which did you touch today?