Monday was the most “technically-challenged” day of my life! I was ready to through away computers, GPS systems, VCRS, DVDS, my cell phone…Wait, I couldn’t go that far! But it was a frustrating day!
On Saturday, I had tried to upgrade my GPS system. It should have been a simple process…Order it online; pay online; download to your computer; Upload to the GPS system. After 7 hours of downloading, uploading, and stress…IT STILL DIDN’T WORK! I ended up calling the Tech Support on Monday morning. (They don’t have Tech Support on the weekends…I guess if the GPS takes you to the wrong place on Saturday, or it blows up on Sunday, you MUST wait until Monday morning!) Anyway, after waiting on hold for 35 minutes, the Tech walked me through it. He told me I had to have the GPS system turned on the entire time. A simple prompt on the download would have saved me HOURS of frustration. So two hours and a bunch of money later, I was updated and upgraded!
Next issue: In an effort to be more financially wise, two weeks ago I called and cancelled one of the two landline phone lines that was coming into our house. However, our DSL was on that line, so it had to be transferred to the second line. They told me a service tech would come and take care of it for me. Great! I don’t want to be responsible for that kind of “techy” stuff! (Mistake Number 1 – No tech was needed nor was ordered.) I waited most of the day for the tech to arrive. Finally around 3 pm, I called to find the status of the arrival of the Techy. After 5 or 6 phone calls, they informed me the NO ONE WAS COMING! I HAD TO DO IT MYSELF! (One lady on the phone asked me what state I was calling from. I told her before I answered that question, she needed to tell me what state she was in…the Philippines! That is not a state!) On the final call, I reached a man in southern India. (I know you think you know where this is going…just wait.) I began the conversation with, “I am very frustrated and angry at Verizon…I know it’s not your fault, but….!” Mr. Sanya remained calm and assuring throughout the entire process. He even laughed a number of times. (His laugh was very similar to my son’s laugh! Freaky – but comforting!) Mr. Sanya told me exactly what to do. He worked with me and my computers for an hour and a half. At two different times, he was able to “share” the screen with me and fix it for me. When I made a mistake (hit the wrong button), Mr. Sanya would reply, “No problem!” When it was all done, he congratulated me on getting it all fixed. He made me feel like I had done the work. Before Mr. Sanya and I parted ways, he reminded me that I had initially told him of my frustration and anger towards Verizon. He then asked me if I was satisfied with the outcome of our “conversation”.
Relief, Joy, Excitement! That is what I felt. If Mr. Sanya had been anything but kind with me, I think I would have just blown up! But he showed me that it was do-able. He walked me through my difficulty, and made me feel good about it.
Kind of makes me want to walk others through their difficulties and show them Relief, Joy and Excitement!
I had the privilege of touring the Gettysburg Battlefield and Visitors Center the past two days. What an emotional and inspiring place to visit. Emotions and feelings swung to both ends of the spectrum. It is one of the most beautiful places in Pennsylvania. The view from Little Round Top was breathtaking. And yet the mental images of young men losing their lives in brutal fighting until the land was described as fields of blood was ever present. 
A few days ago our local Humane Society had a Rabies Clinic. I took our 12 pound Shih Tzu to get his shot. I arrived about 3 minutes before the clinic opened. I was already about 50th in line! There were ALL kinds of dogs; big, little, mangy, yappy, ugly, cute. You get the picture. As I waited in line, I began to compare the dogs to the owners. It really is funny how much they resembled each other! The lady behind me had a beautiful, fluffy, gentle Great Pyrenees. While she wasn’t fluffy, she was beautiful and had a very gentle way. The two young men in front of me each had a German shepherd. The one dog had a large leash that was held together by just a few threads. The other’s leash was a thick chain. Both of the young men looked shifty and a bit shady. I was concerned for my little Bosley! Further up in the line was a disheveled man with a dirty looking dog. The dog had a rash on his face. (How can you a dog have a rash????) On his back, there were large patches without any fur. I held sweet little Bosley closer to me, hoping that whatever disease was afflicting this dog would not become airborne. I continued in the line, watching each step, making sure I did not step into any “piles” left behind by those big, bad dogs! I listened in on the conversations. Not only did the dogs look like their owners, the conversations matched the look! Do you look like your dog????
I remember well where I was 25 years ago today – right now.
Four years ago today I visited my Father in Westmoreland Hospital three times in one day.
Today I had the chance to re-connect with a young woman that I had worked with for about a year when she was a freshman in college.
Okay, quick, answer this question: What is mercy? If you are a regular student of the Bible, you will have a “pat” answer. Mercy is “unmerited favor”. See, I have a pat answer. But, what is unmerited favor???