I Was Almost Amish

It’s not like I haven’t observed much lately. Actually our internet has been down. The router went out. And of course it took me two days to figure it out. Two days which were fraught with frustration and angst, primarily because I’m such a valued customer of many national super-corporations. I spent countless hours in phone therapy with Comcast as they repeatedly told me that I’m important to them. I’m figuring that they wanted to raise my self-esteem as they were experiencing “higher than normal” call volume.

Or maybe they were testing my gullibility.

At the end of those two days, I was seriously ready to chuck all technology and become Amish. Really, I started making plans for a media fast, no email, no facebook, no checking my checking account on line. I was resolved.

But then something happened, something that gave me a glimmer of hope and actually changed my shopping habits. In my search for answers to this dilemma, I was calling many retail places, each one treating me like Comcast and the others that so greatly care about me. But lo and behold there was one, yes only one, that did not sent me down the rabbit hole of telephone number typing. Upon making one fateful call I heard a human voice, a non-recorded voice, a live human voice (as far as I could tell) saying hello, this is the Brooklyn Park Wal-Mart, how may I help you? After I picked the phone up off the floor, I spoke my request. And this gracious creature actually transferred me to the right person.

So I did what I’m usually too proud to do (except on vacation), I went to Wal-Mart and made a purchase. It was my offering to a company willing to actually answer its phones with real people. So here’s to you employees of the late great Mr. Sam. It was good talking with you.