Customer Service is Dead

     It's been quite a few years since customer service has actually provided service to the customer.  Customer service is like a black hole where your complaints circle the drain until they are ejected out the bottom.  One downfall has been the automated phone answering system, which ask you to push the correct numbered button after giving some inane description of the company departments.  These department titles are of no help and no matter which button you press it's the wrong one.  

     Once reaching the wrong department and talking to a human you are then transferred to the proper department by them, well that's what you're made to think.  Most times this transfer just puts your call back into the automated phone system to start the process over again, randomly picking another number. it's basically a telephone roulette wheel with no winning number.  Sometimes you get lucky and end up talking to someone in the right department but many times you get another wrong number or even worse the phone line gets disconnected, that's always a WTF moment.  I tend to believe this is intentional, I know that's kind of negative but it seems to happen to often to be accidental.  

     If you’re a persistent person you call back again until you finally get through to the right department.  Success in that you are talking a person in the right department, which took you approximately 15 to 30 minutes.  Now the work starts, which is explaining your problem but the thing is whoever answered the phone does not have the authority or knowledge to solve you problem so they need to talk to a supervisor.  So now you are on hold waiting for the customer service rep to return which they do 5 minutes later giving you an answer but you have more questions which it turns out also needs to be funneled through the supervisor.  Are my questions so difficult?  So you ask to speak to the supervisor but you are told they are not available at this time, why not you just spoke with them?  The customer service rep returns (5 minutes later) with an insufficient answer for your last question.  You are getting more frustrated and insist on speaking to the supervisor.

     Finally, the supervisor comes on line and asks you the problem.  You ask, "Didn't the customer service rep provide you that information?"  They answer "Yes, but I just want to make sure I understand the problem completely."  You say, first give me your name and phone number in case we get disconnected.  They will give you their name or some name but not a phone number because typo are told that they are not allowed to do that.  So they take your number and promise to call back if the phone is disconnected.  Now you explain the problem in lengthy detail once again.  The supervisor goes back to check your account.  

     You have now been on the phone for about an hour and you notice your phone battery is low, perfect! The supervisor returns and says he can upgrade your service, which will not only resolve the problem but also give me better service. “So you mean with the package I currently have I can’t get good service?”  “No, no, not at all it’s just with the technology changes you can get so much more with this upgraded package.”  You say, “So how much does this new package cost?”  He says, “Well we just happen to have a special going on (my lucky day) and this will cost $10 less per month than you are currently paying”.  You think $10 is not much of discount but I’m tired, hungry and I really need to poop. So you agree to the new deal, but you are told to hold on until someone in the confirmation group comes on the line to give you a confirmation number because the deal is not valid until the number is obtained.

     Feeling proud because you were persistent enough to hang on getting this problem resolved in just an hour & a half and all I need now is the confirmation number, then suddenly the phone dies. 

Children are Our Sunlight

     Kids have a special talent, they bring light into our life.  Little kids don't place value on money, success or status.  Young children can be like the sunlight, which brighten our lives, asking for nothing but love and attention in return.

     I have often wondered what happens to our inner light as we age.  It seems the light is stripped from our life by the world around us.  I guess that's to be expected but why?  The world does not appear to be a happy place, which is a shame.  There could to be so much to smile about if we would take the cue from young children.  They look at life in a naive way and shine their light on others without knowing it will bring a smile to someone’s face.

   Sunlight will always brighten our days but some days will be cloudy.  A child's inner sunlight shines everyday and is only affected by our negativity.  It would be enlightening for all of us to be child like when looking at the world.  It seems the light gets snuffed out of a child's life as they reach maturity.  Why does this happen?  I guess we become enlightened by our adult goals and less childish in our thoughts.

     We lose that light in our eyes that make them twinkle with excitement when something new is discovered or a friend walks into the room.  Little kids don't fake their enthusiasm; it's uncontrollable and real.  Their excitement is contagious to everyone around, it's impossible not to smile when you are around an enthusiastic child.

     I've heard people tell other adults, stop acting like a child, well all I can say is there is nothing wrong in acting like a child when you are speaking of the enthusiasm toward life.  We should all take some time in our daily lives to be silly, laugh uncontrollably and be enthusiastic about life.  "Just Saying...."

Too Busy

     Little things matter, words of encouragement, congratulations and thank you or just a simple how are you doing?  Actually these little things matter more than receiving a gift, these acknowledgements are gifts as well but not material gifts. Sometimes we are blinded by material things and forget that the real important part of life is connecting with others.  Material gifts get broken, lost or outdated but personal connections last a lifetime. Nurture your personal connections to others; it will enrich your life.

    Many of us are always busy but don't be too busy to stay in touch with family and friends.  Facebook and the other social media sites make it easy to stay in touch with people but it's more impersonal than a phone call or text.  Take a few minutes out of your day to make a more personal connection with close friends/relatives, it's easier than you might think plus it has provides great emotional benefits for each of you.

     One last thought, imagine what this world might be like if we all tried to connect with others in a positive way.  We would listen more and judge less.  "Just Saying...."

Penny Candy

     We went to the movies last night and bought a small bag of popcorn for $6.35 cents.  Now, I know movie theatre popcorn is the best and cost a lot but that seems extreme.  We didn't buy candy but I know if you bought a medium popcorn, a box of candy and a soda it would be a least $20.  Not to sound like an old fogey but the cost to get in the show is reasonable compared to the cost of movie snacks.  

     This made me reminisce about growing up in the 50/60's.  It was so different than today that it probably seems unbelievable to a young person.  It's understandable with inflation and salary increases that cost of goods has increased but it is interesting to think about the change.  Movie tickets in late 1960 cost 50 cent, popcorn 10 cents and candy 10 cents depending on the size.

     I remember buying penny candy at the corner store in our neighborhood.  Candy was kept behind the glass counter and sold by piece not in boxes.  Most of the candy was a penny a piece but some were 2 for a penny.  You could pick out 10 different pieces of your favorite candy and only spend a dime or if you chose the 2 for a penny candy you could have up to 20 pieces.  Your candy purchase would be put in to a small paper bag for you.  This was a real treat to have a 10-cent bag of these sugary treats in your possession because it wasn't an everyday occurrence. 

     I had many favorites, including flavored sugar straws, chewy jelly candies, Mary Janes, candy cigarettes, which you would pretend to smoke like the adults and of course the multi-colored button candies stuck on the long piece of paper.  It seemed like the button candies were a bargain because there were so many on the sheet but you had pick each on off with your teeth and you usually ended up eating a small amount of paper with each button. There were many penny candy choices and your favorites may differ from mine but the memories are the same.

     You can still buy these candies but online not at the corner store in your neighborhood, if there still is a corner store.  These are great old memories and I think buying these old fashion penny candies online would be fun for a special party but they probably wouldn't taste the same as you remembered them.

Everyone thinks they have Common Sense

     Ask anyone what’s wrong with people and they say "No one has common sense anymore", except me and some of the people I know.  The thing is the Internet and Social Media proves that a lot of people lack common sense including many people who think they have it.

Here's Webster's Definition: The ability to think and behave in a reasonable way and to make good decisions

This seems fairly straightforward but if you pick it apart there are a few assumptions that you need to make.

First this requires you to think before you act

Second you need to know what behaving in a reasonable way means.

Lastly you have to know the difference between good and bad decisions.

     We are not born with common sense; it is something we learn through life experiences.  We are taught common sense by our parents or responsible adults.  Here's where it gets tricky, if the adults raising a child don't have common sense then it will be more difficult for the child to learn common sense.

     There is basic common sense, that everyone should know and allow you live a safe life; look both ways before you cross the street, don't touch a hot stovetop, be careful with sharp objects, etc. The list goes on and on.  There is a common sense that is more specialized based on your job, where you live or your family background but if you have basic common sense you will quickly learn these specialized versions.

     Intelligence and common sense do not go hand in hand.  Do not automatically assume that an intelligent person has common sense.  I think the more exposure you have to the world and other people the more you can develop common sense, if the people you associate with have common sense.  It's important that we teach others common sense whenever the opportunity arises.  We all have an obligation to teach others to live life with common sense especially the adults raising small children.  "Just Saying...."

Pictures from the Past

    Photos record a moment in time, something to be reflected on later to bring back a pleasant memory.  The invention of digital photography has made photographers out of all of us.  I've noticed that with digital photography available on smart phones people have really gone crazy taking photos.  We take photos everyday on any subject some of which I'd rather not see and why so many photos of your evening meal?  Many shots are selfies and people are always posing like they've just walked down the red carpet or have been nominated for some award.  That's not necessarily a bad thing but what I miss are the candid shots when a person is just being their self.

     I know taking family photos at holidays or other occasions are awkward.  It seems like you never know what to do with your hands or how long to hold a smile so acting goofy seems to be the obvious choice.  With selfies, red carpet posing has replaced the goofy look. Our family is kind of goofy so the red carpet pose doesn't seem to fit us.

     When I look at old pictures I laugh at the goofy ones and some of those were candid shots.  I wonder how people will react in future years when they pull a shoebox of pictures out of the hall closet to look at.  Oh! Wait, no one prints pictures anymore, maybe they will pull the old iPad out of a shoebox and look at those old digital photos.  That seems a little unlikely to me, so with urging from my wife (Mimi) we print a lot of our digital photos, the scenic vacation pictures and the goofy family photos.

     What will happen to the digital photos when a new format comes along and we can no longer access them?  I have a lot of digital photos stored on CD's but CD drives are becoming a thing of the past.  Some people store them in the cloud, but I'm not really sure where the cloud is or how it really works.  Seth Meyers recently questioned how safe the cloud really is.  "It's not like it's called a vault. It's named after something you can put your hand through."  Good point, I would prefer to store my photos in a shoebox, thank you very much.  "Just Saying...."

Hunting Aliens in Roswell

     On our vacation out west to Santa Fe New Mexico we made a side trip to Roswell per John's request.  Aliens have always fascinated John, so we honored his request and drove to Roswell. John always said he plans on living to an age of 120 so maybe he is an extra terrestrial. He may have been looking for ancestral connections.  I have to admit I also found the Roswell Alien story interesting so I really didn't mind, Mimi and Cindy were more skeptical but they played along.

     
     We arrived in Roswell expecting to find elaborate decorations and signs about ET's and there were some but it was more subdued than we expected. There was only a block or two downtown that played up the alien incident.  I guess there were some people in town that preferred to leave that as part of history not wanting to promote it as the main reason for visiting but in reality that is the only reason we were there.

     There was a museum that documented the incident, which had some official letters that reported the incident then some others denying that this was an alien discovery.  There was a mocked up surgery room with an alien on the operating table to support the believers plus statues of aliens all around the museum, small almost cartoonish looking just as you are imagining.  There was a cafe where you could sit and have lunch with an alien.  We were hoping to get an alien burger but there were none to be found. That sounds like a missed opportunity.  I think an alien burger with extra-terrestrial sauce would be a big seller. 

     It would have been fun to visit the ranch outside Roswell where the Alien spaceship was reported to have crashed but that was not an option.  Roswell was a fun side trip but one day was enough to see everything we wanted to see.    

A Dogs Life

     The saying "Living a Dogs life" used to have a negative connotation referring to someone having a difficult time but I don't think that's true any longer.  The saying leads back to the 16th century when dogs and other house pets lived difficult lives.  There are other dog sayings that imply how hard life can be such as "it's a dog eat dog world", "working like a dog", "meaner than a junkyard dog" and possibly many other references but a dogs lifestyle has had many positive improvements over the years.

     I guess what I'm saying is, if someone told me I lived a dogs life I would interpret that as living a privileged life without worries.  At least that's the life of dogs in my extended family.  Just think about it for a minute, dogs don't work, they don't shop for food, they don't clean up after themselves, they chew things up, they require a lot of attention and yet we forgive them for the bad things they do after we shame them, of course.

     Dogs get away with any bad behavior because they have sad eyes, they are always loyal and loving and most of all the are always excited to see us even if we only left to get the newspaper off the front lawn.  We can learn something from dogs about the excitement of living, which is also true of little kids, they show the same excitement toward life.    

     One other thing dogs are patient with humans, I mean they have to be when we are always dressing them up like puppets.  Recently I found out that some dog owners give their dogs middle names and it's not unusual for the dog's middle name to be human type, like Titan James.  I guess it's like having a child and when they get in trouble you use their middle name to show you are strongly displeased with their behavior.  "Titan James get over here, Right Now".  Hmm! I wonder what the dog is thinking?  "Oh, I'm in big trouble now she used my middle name, I better use my sad eyes and maybe turn my head sideways to show I'm ashamed."  " I'm not sure what I did wrong, they left the food on the table for me, didn't they?"

     I wonder what's on the mind of a dog on a typical day of their life?  Let's take a view of life through a dog’s eye.

Morning "Time to wake up my humans so they can feed me, I'll go wander around the kitchen so they know I'm up, maybe I'll route through the trash can, that might get their attention."

"Oh boy here they come, I'll wag my tail and jump around like I haven't seen them in weeks."

"They're letting me out for my morning romp and poop in the backyard.  I think I'll roll around in my poop to show them I have a sense of humor." 

"Why are they so upset, it's just poop, it doesn't smell bad to me."  "I'll do my sad eyes and tail between the legs, that gets them every time."

"This food is good, let's see how fast I can eat it.......Cool, a record time."

"They're leaving, now I can take a much needed nap."

Afternoon "That was a good nap, now it's time to smell stuff around the house, I could use something to chew on.  Look they left the TV on, that was nice.  It's the animal channel but I saw that episode, wasn't that good, a little unbelievable, cats aren't that smart. "

"What's that I hear outside, Bark, Bark, Bark, That should scare them off.  Just doing my job protecting my house.  I think my humans would be proud."

"I need to lay down and rest, I've been working like a dog, Ha Ha, I kill myself.  Oh! there's the air vent perfect place for a nap.  Oh! Let me shake first so the loose dog hairs can float around the house, Ah! That's better."

Evening "My people are home, Go crazy, show them how much I miss them." "Jump up on them, they always like that."

"Yeh! I get to go outside again.  I love chasing squirrels, rabbits or leaves.  I think I'll eat some twigs, I am particularly fond of the dyed brown mulch, it has a nice earthy taste with a long finish.  Here comes my human to play with me, this is the best part of the day."

"It's back inside to enjoy and evening with my humans.  I don't understand why my humans eat multiple times a day and I only get one meal.  Maybe I can get a treat if I whine a little.  He'll probably put it on my nose and tell me to wait before I eat it, that's so annoying, why do they torture me?"

"Time to relax with my humans in front of the TV, cool "Friends" I love that show especially the episodes with chick and duck, so funny, great comedic actors.  I wonder why I haven't seen them on other shows, if I had thumbs I would check IMDB"

"Time for bed, but first I have to go outside again a do my business, Wow! What an exhausting day, this is a dogs life."