There is no doubt that getting accustomed to dialing 10 digits instead of seven will difficult, but many people, including eventually the West Virginia Public Service Commission, agreed it was the best option.

The facts are that change is rarely easy and in this situation it was a matter of either having half of the state change its area code or adopting the overlay system that eventually won out.

If by chance you find yourself ruing the day this decision was made, think back to a year ago when perhaps you were one of the ones agitated at the possibility of having a new area code.

The new area code is necessary, primarily because of technological progress. We have more telephone numbers per person today than ever.

In fact, a recent report said 85 percent of Americans have mobile phones. With each person having a personal number, let alone the fax, internet, and pager lines, we are bound to need more numbers–and thus area codes.

Change is never easy, but eventually we’ll get used to it. Someday it will even be hard to remember the days when only seven numbers were able to ring the telephone of our neighbor.

In the meantime, try to get your fingers accustomed to doing a longer walk and be sure to reprogram your speed dial numbers–particularly those that are for emergency numbers on automatic dials on alarms, etc. Because if help cannot be reached when there is trouble, now that would be a real inconvenience!