the phone is ringing, run!

The beautiful thing about the Asian mentality is that the minute the phone rings, they drop everything and run to pick up the phone. That includes running out from the bathroom with hair and body dripping wet to trek down the stairs and across the living room to retrieve that ringing phone.

There is just no way in heck that they will ignore a ringing phone and leave it unanswered. Why is that? Why is it so important to pick up the phone? I used to think this is a thing with the older generation (is it??) because in their time, the phone was a new contraption. Not everyone had a phone and if you had one, you'd better answer it by hook or by crook! Even if it kills you!!