Making It Up As I Go Along #441

The Curse of Connection
The more we are connected, the worst the connecting can be. Today I got a phone call. My cell phone erupting into song, proclaiming there to be someone searching for me. But when I answer, there is no wait for my “hello”. No “How are you today?” A robotic voice lets me know that I’m a valued customer at Costco, and I can press “1" to receive a free gift in appreciation of my patronage.

The problem with this call is, officially, I’m not a customer at Costco. I don’t have a Costco card. I’ve bought things there yes, but always under another’s card. Be it mom for half a year’s worth of toilet paper... or dad for a cheap DVD... or aunt Ruby for a load of groceries. As far as Costco is concerned, they’re the customers... not me.

My connectedness to the rest of the world allows much of that world to lie to me. Had I been a Costco customer... and had I been in a moment of weakness, perhaps I would have pressed “1". And who knows where that would have led.

I had a moment of such mentioned weakness recently. My doorbell rang... twice. With knocking in between. I head down to the door, ignoring the peep hole, expecting a frantic parent who’s child has just been hit by a car out front. Such a thing happened in the past... when I was a kid back home... and a frantic person came to my house with a child, just outside, being hit by a car.

My desire to be a good person cost me. As I open the door, it’s a man with a clipboard... wanting to make sure I don’t get screwed with my utilities... signing me up to lock in my prices with his company. He rushes through his spiel and I’m only recently up and preparing for work... I’m weak... and signed up.

Luckily, there is a positive in my connectedness. I’m able to call the company a few days later and tell them I want out of the deal. And out I am, nullifying the sale job of the door to door man. But even then, I have to endure their attempts at making me feel stupid. “Are you sure you want to pay 5 cents per kilowatt more?” “Yes,” I reply, “I’m happy doing it”.

80% of my e-mails are garbage. I remember the happiness of e-mails of years gone by. Checking your computer was like going to the mail box. E-mails were as letters... communication from someone far off.

Today such e-mails are as rare as the letters. Where my Superbox (for the mailbox next to my door is no longer visited by postal carriers, but instead hired carriers of flyers) is now full of menu’s and coupons I’ll never use... my e-mail inbox is full of sales pitches.

My cable company e-mails me a special offer if I’d let them take over my phone service too. My phone company e-mails me a pitch to take over my internet. Someone named Nicole has written me at 4:15 this morning, wishing me a “good evening”. And deals at TopMeds are only a click away.

Facebook used to be different. A place where friends of yours will give a little hint of what’s going on in their day. Now when I visit Facebook, I learn of when any of my friends are playing a game. Because I like Newfoundland, I get a link to an article I have no interest in reading. And even when my “friends” update their status, it’s often telling me to “Like” this... or “Repost” that.

Be it mail, e-mail, the telephone, Facebook, or even the front door... my world has become a sales pitch.

It makes me appreciate the days gone by. When something in the mailbox was often a letter or postcard... a friend or family member who thought of you from away... and wanted to say “hi”.

When a knock on the door came from a loved one who happened to be in the neighbourhood.

When a telephone call was from someone you knew, asking how you’re doing, with no hidden agenda of making a sale.

The world, as connected as we are, is now set up for two choices. You can either be skeptical of 90% of any contact. Expecting a ringing phone to be a telemarketer. Expecting offers from cable and phone companies to come with hidden clauses that will cause you to lose in the long run, as they take a bit more from you... bit by bit, month by month.

Or you can be trusting. Trust is supposed to be a good thing. A characteristic that others appreciate. I have friends that I am happy to say I trust. And I feel good knowing that they can trust me. But trust can break you in this world. Too much trust means you get taken. If you believe every caller is telling you the truth, and every piece of mail is steering you straight, chances are you’ll be even more bombarded by these people... and hundreds, if not thousands of dollars will vanish... all thanks to your trust.

Our daily lives are no more than a walk through a Turkish Bizarre. Where people on either side of you are yelling out, trying to catch your eye, hoping to get noticed... so they can lure you in, and sell you something you never had any intention of owning.

I’d love a day... just one day... when I could take the good of being connected. Of being in touch with people that mean something to me... of learning of their day... without the instruments of our connection trying to sell me something.

It would be a wonderful thing to feel trust and intrigue as I’m about to answer my phone. It’s a sad thing when we have to get our guard up when the telephone rings.

THURSDAY...
— Fairly quiet day at work. I’m alone for eight of the twelve hours as well. Hockey on TV after work.

FRIDAY...
— Computers down most of the day at work. Made for a long day as we were fairly workless for much of the time.
— To Shannon’s after work for burgers and some hanging out.

SATURDAY...
— Some TV around the house before work. Work the night alone. A pretty quiet night... goes pretty well.

SUNDAY...
— Leave work in the early morning to a skunk wandering the grounds around our building. Upon seeing me, it runs... towards me. Time to get to the car.
— Sleep is not long enough. Eyes pop open before noon and that may bite me later... as no nap this afternoon before work. Ball game instead.

MONDAY...
— Got real tired at work. By 3:30, I am on fumes. Straight home after and into bed but, even though tired, I’m up before noon. Groceries... catching up on the PVR’d TV... and a few cat naps through the day.

TUESDAY...
— Some movies, a walk around the pond (two laps). And video game baseball. A relaxing day.

WEDNESDAY...
— Some cleaning up around the house. Preparing to make my kitchen nook more useable. I clean out the spare room closet and the storage room... and by tossing several things, and repacking some boxes, I’m left with four empty boxes to deal with the clutter in the nook.