Monday 30 January 2017

Live in Balance: when do I give up?

When do you give up? I mean, sometimes something is not meant to happen and no matter how hard you fight, or how much effort or money you put into it, it was not going to happen.
I have reached the point where I am ready to just give up. For weeks now I have been battling with mobile phone service providers to get a new phone. Sure I could have taken any model, but I had my heart set on the iPhone 7+ after Samsung had the problem with the Note 7. And for some reason, the universe is conspiring against me.
Linzé Brandon, Live in Balance, Goals 2017

The first company I signed with, could for the life of me not get my old number ported to the new phone. After thirteen days I gave up, cancelled the contract and returned the handset, barely used. I think the only calls I made were to their customer service center asking about the status of my request to have the number ported. So I gave up and tried another.
Then on Tuesday, I thought my misery had ended. Given the history of the last few weeks, I should have known better. My contract was approved (the legal part) and when I enquired about the status of my phone (I still need to get the handset), I was told their internet connection is down due to cable theft. Welcome to the new South Africa!
Okay, that is not a new problem, but what about the days before that?
This past Thursday had been a week since I signed the necessary paperwork. You think I would have had a new phone by now!
Update: It is Sunday evening and guess what? No phone. I am so tired of the incompetence of people that I am almost at the point where I am going to tell to f*ck themselves. I spoke to the network operator, and it should not take more than 2 hours to port the number. So what the hell is their problem? *taking deep breaths*
Linzé Brandon, Live in Balance, Goals 2017

On a more positive note (and I am really trying to hang on to something that won't give me a heart attack) is that I have managed a few thousand words this past week. No lightning strikes or epiphanies, only sitting down and getting the words down on a new story. The first chapter is done, and chapter two well on its way.
Come editing time I might swap them around, but for now, the words are written, and that is the most important thing. While I have been contemplating this story for a long time, the opening, getting it started, had always been a concern. Without a good start, the story would not be anything more than a bunch of fluffy words and fluff has never done it for me.
So with some positive attitude shining through the cracks of my mobile phone miseries, week 4 was off to a better start than the previous week. Hey, I even managed to get my butt moving doing more than walking and climbing stairs so far. Not that stair climbing isn't exercise, but doing it in work shoes cannot be considered a workout. Stair climbing at work is an exercise in safety, not sweat.
Linzé Brandon, Live in Balance, Goals 2017
With the writing, and a little exercise, and a sketch or two, I managed to keep my sanity intact. I just wish I could say the same for my digital communication channels.
Plan B, or should I say Plan C, is already in place. The question that I need to answer is how long am I going to give these guys before I cancel the contract with them?

And so week 5 is underway...

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