Why do I have stuff?
Because I have the worst luck with technology and getting good customer service, I decided I would try going one week without using any of the “extras” I have in life. That means the cellphone, television, Internet – essentially anything that could malfunction or for which I might need technical support.
Not just things that could go wrong, but I also wanted to stay away from situations that would have me depending on someone else. For instance, I had gone back and forth with a window company to have a broken window fixed. The company fixed the wrong window and hadn’t got back to me. It was something that needed to be done for the sake of my house. I couldn’t not have it fixed when more rain was in the forecast.
That was strike 1. I had to followup with that Monday morning.
When I opened the mail on Monday I got the cable bill. The amount due on the invoice was wrong. Again, that’s something that needed to be fixed so I could get a new invoice sent in time for paying the bills later this month. It turned into an hour-long debate with a customer service representative who thought she knew more about my account than I did. That’s strike 2.
I attempted to make dinner later that day. I opened the package of chicken I bought at the store. It was rancid. Again, I had to take care of that right away and not let the smell of the now-open package stink up my place. Back to the store for a refund and deal with management about filing a formal complaint. There’s strike 3.
So, my weeklong mission to go without interference from outside parties turned into a disaster by day 1. It had me realize we rely on so many things and people that we really aren’t in control of what happens.
Yes, we’re in control of how we handle things, but there are so many determining factors that make me just want to set up a tent in the middle of nowhere and have no luxuries that could fail me. Then again, with my luck something would go wrong with the tent.
