I think I hit new BRAIN FUDGED exam heights this afternoon. Just driven back from school and for about 10 seconds I was stood bemused next to the house front door. The locked front door. Why wouldn’t it open. I was repeatedly pressing the car remote door opening key.

D’oh.

Once I had finally opened the pesky front door with its traditional key, I found a letter from a rather large public utility company which had been privatised a few years decades back. Customers were told that this would significantly improve service levels and keep prices down….

We are still waiting for those particular benefits to arrive.

The letter was addressed to Hawklad’s Mum. Over the 6 plus years since the world changed, I have repeatedly tried to get them to change this. Apparently the main database has been changed but other databases not linked to the main one keep popping up. Clearly the privatised company can’t afford to link all its systems. Got to pay those Dividends…..

Well back to the letter. A few years back, seeing my partners name on the address would have wrecked me. Things have changed now. The grief journey moves further down the road. This time I focused on the text next to the address.

We know times are hard, we are here to help. We want to do all we can, so open the envelope to see what we can do for you…

Well for a start you could stop fleecing your customers with ridiculously sky high prices and monumentally poor service levels. You could also stop your Chief Executive getting millions in performance related bonuses.

I dealt with the letter in the appropriate manner. Throw it to the mad Cat and Dog, let them rip it to shreds.

But the key point is that I focused on the contents of the letter rather than on the name on the letter. I never thought I could ever do that but when the time is right, the journey starts to become just a bit less painful.

42 thoughts on “Privatisation”

  1. It is good that you have reached a point where it doesn’t rip you to bits but it doesn’t say much for the company that they are so heartless. And clueless, obviously. Company managers are high on my hit list.

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  4. On of utility companies changed their billing system to improve customer service. To make a long story short we haven’t re ieved a paper or electronic bill yet. Ever month we have to call and ask them to send us a bill. I am glad your pain isn’t as intense.

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  6. Yeah. The key fob won’t work on a house door.

    It’s been a slow journey to healing…just a bit more. Pain of loss can give way to the comfort of memories. Better to have loved and lost, than to never have known the love to begin with.

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  7. I wonder when keys first got invented, then the first one to drop in a field, then the original person that stood there at their front door, wondering why the car key fob doesn’t open it? Surely you cannot be the first. At least you worked it out and didn’t try to break into your own house, get arrested, have a friend turn up to vouch for you, come home late and find the lost key right there next to the front door, slightly to the right dropped and landed in the pot of petunias. How’s that for imagination?

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      1. It had to be petunias and when the keys fell into the pot the second time, third time, forth and so on… would it have said “Oh no, not again!” As many people could then speculate *why* petunias think this way and the nature of the universe could be hidden in the reason.

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  9. I would return the bill unopened, with NAMED OCCUPANT DECEASED written on the envelope. Maybe then they will get the hint. And if they cut off your internet, look for another with better service. (I am assuming you have more than one internet provider available.)
    In Canada right now they are giving new customers discounted rates to steal customers from the older companies. Wd haven’t switched only because we get good service, and we are about to get fibre optics cable put in. We’ll see how that goes for 3 months, then revisit our prices.

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      1. I actually did something similar in a home I was renting. The bill for Satellite TV came in the name of the previous occupant. The bills stopped coming, but they never did shut the satellite signal off. I had free satellite till I moved out 8 months later. I hope the next renters figured that out too.

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  11. One step at a time, and you don’t even notice you’re walking again after being paralyzed. I can relate. 🙏🏾

    Privatization never lowered the price/cost of anything. 😒😒

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  14. No one knows what to say to someone experiencing what you feel. My heart goes out to you. I think of you often and pray for your comfort. Sending warm thoughts and hugs always.

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  16. I know my closeness to my family who have passed and pets who have, will never compare to the loss of your partner. I just think the love and the pain of losing loved one, continues, but so does life. I don’t think your partner would want you and Hawklad to be in pain at her loss the rest of your lives. Its probably a good thing to not be in pain for a long time. I hope that makes sense and isn’t rude!

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  17. Oh Gary, you sound exhausted. Those brain fog moments are a sign. I hope you get some rest and respite soon!

    It’s a pain when companies don’t update their records especially when it can be painfully triggering. It’s nice to hear you can face these better now. Hope the cat and dog enjoyed ripping that spam to shreds.

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