Adventures of an Urban Nomad - Anniversaries
Laurence Harrould - Sunday, September 11, 2011
Today was September 11 2011, the 10th anniversary of the day the world changed. It's a decade since the destruction of the Twin Towers and unless you're living under a rock you'll be very aware of that.
It got me thinking about the significance of anniversaries - especially major ones like a decade, quarter of a century etc. Anniversaries give us an opportunity to reflect on where we were then, how far we've come and what we've learned.
What did you do yesterday? While it may not have had a direct link to 9/11 there will have been something you can learn from it. Danita & I went to visit a couple we'd met shortly after our rural move on our current housesit. It was wonderful spending the day together, sharing ideas, experiences & stories. While we all had other things to do, we felt no pressure to leave. A short visit for morning tea turned into lunch and it was getting close to dinner time before we parted.
One of the things we've found with housesitting is how we've been making connections with wonderful people. They've literally opened their homes to us. Of course there's been value for them as well and so it's a real win-win situation. These are people we would never have come in contact with and so we're very grateful for the opportunities we've gained by being open and adaptable - flexibility is a basic requirement if you're considering housesitting. For us the big lessons have been flexibility and faith (or trust).
Returning to my theme about anniversaries it occurred to me that in the decade since 9/11 the world has been changed - in ways both positive and negative. While the objective was to create fear and anxiety (which in many ways it was hugely successful) there's also been a change in the way people connect and interact with each other. People seem to be more open to ideas which 10 years ago we'd have thought were just fanciful and once we get to know people we're more accepting of diversity and differences.
How have you changed during this time?
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Campaign for Causeless Love
Laurence Harrould - Friday, August 05, 2011
Let's start a campaign for causeless love.
There's plenty of hate in the world and it can often be justified. The simple task of getting help from your telco will usually result in angst and frustration. Often we take that out on the person at the other end of the phone. After all they are our only connection to the company which is causing us such a problem - they've overcharged, we can't access our bank account, the phone isn't working etc etc. We're angry, frustrated and hostile and need someone to vent to and who better than the person representing the organisation which is the cause of our problem.
When we ring a large company we EXPECT it will take a long time to get a solution, if we can get one at all. We EXPECT to get passed around to multiple departments, having to repeat our identifying information at every step and re-explaining what our issue is only to be told we've come through to the wrong section and get passed to the next department. That's what we EXPECT and that's usually what we EXPERIENCE - hence justifying our expectation.
But let's stop for a moment, take a deep breath and think about what's happening. On the other end of the phone is a PERSON. They spend their day dealing with calls like yours and callers just like you. The fact that they can stay calm and not shout back and scream about what a hard time they're having when all they're doing is simply trying to solve your problem is a testament to their patience. Yes - they understand your anger but if they aren't skilled, knowledgeable enough or authorised to deal with your issue the only thing they can do to help you is pass you to someone they think can. Added to that there's often the complication that they're not even good at your language - not to mention local and cultural nuances. (This is an issue and should be addressed but the person you're talking to can't do that.)
So let's spare a thought for the PERSON at the other end of the phone. Be nice, ask how their day is going and are they having a pleasant time. Tell them how much you appreciate them trying to help and how you understand that they may not be able to get the resolution you want and how grateful you are that they're trying to find the right person to help. I'll bet we'd all find it pretty challenging but what a different world we'd live in if that's how everyone behaved.
Ghandi said "Be the change you want to see in the world". What change do you want?
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