These make me sick. Just like any other human being on this earth, we all go through different sets of emotions at any given time. From the highest to the lowest, deepest pit of emotion. But all of these things make us human nonetheless and I do not hate them. Still, with all of these said, we must deal with them too.
A week ago, I faced a similar rage I had to deal with. It seems to me, somebody (or something) is pressing all the possible button-combination they can try to try and tick me off. Yup, it blew my head away. But I got back easily.
The uncontrollable factor
I used to dream that I would become a scientist, way back when I was still very young. Lo, and behold, I would say I had become one! I was always the person with the logical brain.. trying to explain things the way mother nature has it. Even life's circumstances was not unexplainable at some point. Nothing can deter me from trying to work my way into what fits as "explainable" and "logical". There is always a reason for everything.. and when there is none, there is always God (to blame--LOL).
Friday night, I sent a message to a friend. I got a reply that annoyed me. Not only did it annoy me at that instant, but "it" continued to annoy me every three (3) minutes since I received it until possibly an hour and a half when I thought turning off my phone would be a solution.
Now, what has a scientist got to do with it?
After the message echoed for an hour and a half with a robotic 3-minute precise interval, I knew that it was beyond our control. Concerned of my friend's load, I tried to call the sender number to "flush" the queue and possibly inform the networks that there is already an established connection between us two and cut the sending crap. We both tried sending another message to update delivery status of that particularly recurring message--ALL TO NO AVAIL.
I turned off my phone at 01:30AM and woke up at 08:45AM. I turned my phone back on only to find my phone unusable simply because the same annoying message was being sent to me all along while I was sleeping! Just imagine how many message that must have been! With this, I called up SMART and complained about this. I asked what solutions they can offer me.
It was pretty absurd that they had to immediately resort to telling me my phone or my friend's phone was faulty. Customer service these days! I thought that sitting it out would eventually make it stop, but no. After turning my phone off for another 2 and a half hours, again the message came pouring in. I couldn't even sit straight and just focus with my work!
At 14:00, I called up SMART. Complained again and related what I did with this problematic case. This time, there was an offer to me that I wait for 25 minutes later since the case was already forwarded to their technical department. (Sometimes I wish I'm not part of another technical department--we always get blamed a lot). After 40 minutes, I called up since it was their advice for me to call back if the resolution was unsuccessful. That was the third time, and when I called back, the agent had to ask me again what my case was! Not one of the two earlier agents ever filed my case at all! How irresponsible, how reckless!
There was no more sense holding back my rage. After more than 12 hours of waiting patiently for a miracle or at least the slightest effort from them--nothing happened, morevoer, I find out that they didn't file my case! Poor girl that I had to scream at her for the fault of her two co-workers. I can't help but explain to her that her answers were unacceptable because I am not her average client to whom you can always say "just restart your phone". She had to mention to me and pick out this particular possibility that maybe my phone was hit by a virus. She kept pounding at me to get me to tell her that I do wifi access and browsing on my phone. I literally had to tell her that I am an IT person and I know what I am doing.
Of course, I'm always a peaceful person of love, care and respect. I don't do swearing infront of people (except possibly when I'm swearing AT my code). My family members know me for being such a patient person. Well, that typically means if I am angry, nothing can make me happy but myself and in due time.
What I do have control of
After allowing the volcano to temporarily explode, there is now some steam. The typical body worn out of the rage, is now hungry. :P I feel this is the right time to treat the family to a weekend free merienda! I'm feeling great again!
Since I was online, I breeze through the revamped McDonalds online delivery to try it out. I pick my orders and checkout. In a while, someone called me from McDonalds to verify my order. Wouldn't you know... it works! :) Alas! my fate would be changed!
After this unknown girl who called me through the cellphone verified my order, she made me synchronize their time with my clock. At that time, theirs was 6 minutes later, so I pegged a timeframe in my head taking into consideration this time gap. After padding ten more minutes of waiting, I decided to call them back.
A guy picks up the phone. Said I had no order placed. I told him I put the order through their site. He forwarded me to a verifier. This lady now communicates with me that there was a problem with my order. WTH. She said she was sorry that it was not relayed to me. So she respectfully volunteers to verify my order in which I agree to do so.
What ticked me off was when she was verifying the old order (which was corrected by the earlier lady who called me). I asked her, how come my verified order seems to be marked as unverified from her end. We now argue if I indeed received a call from them. Well, with this the case, I do have all evidence that I got the call since it was done via my cellphone and not the landline. She was apologetic.. but you know my tummy doesn't want to yield.
I asked her how long she's going to make me wait for my order to be delivered and she says another 30minutes, which at that time of conversation, more than an hour has already passed since my first order! No offer to make it half the price nor to make it free. All she said was "we'll prioritize it ma'am". Yeah.. I bet her boss wouldn't tell me that.
But ah, well, good old Yakisoba would do the trick, and so I cancel the order. Move my thought to something else. Bye bye rage.
After eating, I treat myself to a good nap. Now these negativities will get flushed.
Another incident of scamming
A friend of mine was surprised when he suddenly got a call from Philam Insurance, saying that he had a certificate ready for him to pick up. Imagine being phoned to hear this. The question is, where did they get your information and why are they using it without your knowledge?? With their explanation, they said that my friend's "application for insurance" was already processed and is now ready for his pickup wherein he will sign the documents relating to this.
Why would you want to do that when you didn't even ask for it? Why do they have a process wherein all the processing is done without the person concerned's signature and approval?? Are they really just after your signature after all? Because if not, they could have proceeded selling your information somewhere else? Who is to say that they won't engage your profile to some other scams after you sign the document?
What now?
It is an outrage how other people, outside of your own personal life could diminish your state of happiness simply because they are not mindful of what effects they cause on you. I hope that people would be more cautious about the way they do their work, about the way they lead their lives because in the end, each one is connected to everybody else out there in one way or another.
I used to tell my youngest sister, don't put pressure on yourself. Ambition is not equivalent to pressure. Pressure is when you try to put yourself into something that's beyond your limit. If there are two walls that squeezing you in, don't push both away. Try to be realistic and push one that's within your control. You are always in control. If both walls don't seem to pass within your gauge of 'control', then its time to get out. Just like in a dream, when you find yourself trapped or in danger, just always remember to wake up.
These ugly things make us act in an ugly way. Sometimes the burden is upon the goodness of the heart of man so simply put an end to this push. If one man will make the sacrifice to not spread this ugliness, I sure hope this negative behavior will die. All ugly things should be banished. Try repeating this to yourself the next time you feel angry: "If I can't be patient, then who else will?"