The Story of Ma Bell
Who is Ma Bell? For many people, the story of Ma Bell begins with a man named Alexander, but Ma Bell has come to symbolize a lot more than a man with an idea.
If you were to ask the general population where the term “Ma Bell” actually came from, you would get a few puzzled responses. Nobody knows how the story of Ma Bell came to be, but she is still around hundreds of years after her inventor has passed away. While Alexander invented the telephone, he had very little to do with the Bell phone company at all. You see, Alexander decided that his invention was worth very little, so he headed for jolly old England while his successor (Gardiner Hubbard) took over the whole operation. From that day forward, Ma Bell would grow from a company run by men to a matriarchal image of a rather controlling mother.
Many believe that the actual term “Ma Bell” came from the fact that Bell employees felt as though they were tied by an umbilical cord. Still, others believe that Ma only showed up after the company stock was snatched up by a group of widows with orphans. Then again, former employees of Ma herself will tell you that the name actually came from Bell’s wife “May Belle” ... but, who knows for sure? Throughout history, Ma Bell has gone through a barrage of different identities and associations, yet she is still the ever-looming mother that she always was.
Ma may have lost her looks over the years, but she is still the most recognized phone company in the world. While some people love to tell the story of Ma Bell over campfires and marshmallows, others find the Bell company quite reassuring. It’s slightly difficult for any other company to claim the same history that Bell has since the company has been around since, well, since Bell himself. Bell has always provided a family sort of service to its clients, and in turn many of Bell’s customers will be forever faithful.
While there may be new forms of telephone technology sprouting up all over the globe, Ma still holds her tight grip on those that desire a bit of nurturing. No matter what new phone company pops up, Ma will always be there for her patrons.
The Bell company still remains an integral part of the way that we communicate today – which is why we all love that great, comforting, mother figure. She may be a bit of a nag and she may be slightly overbearing, but Ma Bell is the one company that you can count on when it comes to your phone service.