If you own stuff, you have broken stuff. The more you need it, the higher probability it will break.
My husband isn’t the programming kinda’ computer geek, but he works in the industry.
People that know my husband associate him with computers.
People that know me, know I can’t live without a computer. We make a good couple.
So aren’t you surprised to find a computer like this in our home? I’m not talking about the dirty screen, look down. At the keyboard. See?
It was one of those Slick Willy Salesmen kinda’ deals. Mr. P bought me a brand new computer for school several years ago.
The enthusiastic salesman bragged about their warranty. ”Yeah, anything happens to this, and we’ll give you another one. You can drop it or the kids can spill milk on it, and we’ll give you another one.” He was just revving up his motor mouth. “Yea, you could walk out into that parking lot right now, drop it in a mud puddle, drive over it with your minivan, and we’ll give you another one.”
SOLD!
To the mother of six who weekly has precious items altered, broken or “borrowed.” Like a sage, he predicted the future of my spankin’ new computer, and promised protection. That warranty was my armor. Nothing could touch me now.
I began filling up my Jiggabites, or whatever they’re called, with my grade program, my assignment sheets, and all my homeschool business. The hubbster imported all the data crucial to running my world from the desktop. I was golden.
After a few weeks, the #5 popped off.
Just like that. Decided it didn’t like his new home and ran away with a spoon, or single sox. Not sure.
I’m a sport. I can live without #5. If the pioneers could live in dirt houses, I could live without 5.
Then the D took a dive.
Now, I do type nearly 100mph, I mean wpm, thanks to Mr. Short my Typing I teacher, but even my smokin’ speed on the keyboard shouldn’t have burned off those little keys.
When the space bar started freaking out on me I was done with my martyrdom. I drove my mini-van back to the computer store.
I found the nearest salesman and waved my keyboard in front of his face. ”I want my new computer. Look, not even a month old and the keys are popping off. My kids didn’t even have anything to do with this. Nobody dropped it or used it for a skateboard ramp. Those keys just fell off.”
“OK. We can send that in for you today to get fixed.”
“Send it in? No. I want my new computer today.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” he explained. “These are minor problems. They don’t justify a whole new computer.”
“But the guy who sold this to me said if anything happens I get a whole new computer,” I explained.
I could tell he was getting a little uncomfortable. “Well, he…ummm…ummmm… he didn’t mean it that way. You must have misunderstood.”
“No,” I forced myself to smile at the kid who didn’t know how to correctly tie a tie, “he promised me a new computer no matter what. He said I could even drive over it in the parking lot and you would give me a new computer.”
I recognized the conscience squirm. He recognized his mother in me.
“I’m sorry, but he was wrong, we have to send your computer away,” he explained.
”Can’t you fix it in the store?” I asked.
“No. We don’t have technicians in the store, we send all our repairs out.”
“How long will this take?” I asked while mentally calculating how this would set back my school calendar.
“Oh, about a month.”
“A MONTH? You want my computer for a whole month? I can’t live without it for a month! I homeschool and all my assignments and grades are in here. Can’t you find someone to fix it locally?”
“No.”
Desperate times make for desperate mothers. “Can I take it out in the parking lot and drive over it with my mini-van, bring it back to you and get a new one?”
“No,” he said. “That kinda’ wouldn’t be right.”
“But, the guy said!” I was doing the conscience squirm and he was staring at me like he was my mother. “It was his idea in the first place.”
He just stood there, eyes shifting around the store, looking for reinforcement.
“So you won’t give me a new computer even though my salesman promised one for anything that went wrong,” I repeated.
“No.”
“And if you send it away it will take a month?”
“Yes.”
I walked out.
The hubbster, being the nice guy that he is, bought me a different computer from a different store. We had wanted one for the kids, so we figured they could live without the 5 and the D and with a jiggly space bar.
Then, we kinda’ forgot about it.
The thing is built like a tank, weighs enough to use for a weapon, and gave us absolutely no other problems. The guts are great, so we keep using it for games, email and watching YouTube videos.
The other day Boy Wonder, our 16-year-old college freshman said, “Dad, did you know you could just order a new keyboard?”
“Oh?” I could see the wheels churning. Hubby was trying to remember why we needed a keyboard.
“For our kids’ computer,” Boy Wonder explained. “I can just order a new keyboard.”
Hubbster and I exchanged “OH, DUH” looks and told him to order away. Why did it take so long to figure this out?
The computer-Geek hubbster and I are in good company, with our policy of using broken things.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
The Lord accepts brokenness as a sacrifice we lay on His altar, and allow Him to alter. Then He uses brokenness to display His glory through healing.
This is my favorite line from “Everlasting Love” by DeGarmo and Key.
When tender hearts hold broken dreams
Somehow You use broken things
What do you have that is broken?
Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
I know how to get it fixed.
That looks just like my daughter’s keyboard (but I know the little people are responsible for that). Don’t know whether you have read at my plae lately but they have moved I to their own place.
Ruby, I’ve been having troubles with the WordPress Reader….some days it just swirls and swirls. So glad you dropped by today because I was able to catch up on yur life!
It’s always so annoying to have someone promise something that they can’t deliver. Also annoying for the company as someone is getting bad training or something, lol!
Re: your comment: you are such a sweetie! Thank you! I can’t even imagine how I would start writing a book or even what I’d write about! What would I write about? Lol! Where’s the conference?
Well, you could write a funny book that moms would read instead of crying when things are bad. 🙂 When my kids were little, I used to check out the cartoon books Family Circus and Baby Blues from the library. I also liked Erma Bombeck. You could do the Lazy Mom Series of how to cook and clean and run a house.
http://nwchristianwriters.org/RenewalConference
Mindy this is completely too funny!!! On the other hand it isn’t funny at all!! It entirely sounds too familiar because I had a laptop that had keys popping off, then unintelligible conversations with people in India, we actually sent the computer off FOR A MONTH and got a new keyboard and power cord out of the deal. It was a terrible experience.
For another computer, that was also brand new, it blacked out and stopped working. I had to call India. “Bob” kept telling me with insane impatience “Hit DU F PANE”. I still haven’t cracked the code of what the “F PANE” is, but I hung up in tears. That might be another reason we kept the broken computer for so long…
Oh my gosh, we are sooo much alike!! I LOVE DeGarmo & Key!!! Thanks for sharing!
This is my very favorite song by them ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ0YI2Yf5po&feature=related
I had never heard that song from them, thanks for sharing! I showed my daughter the video clip from you and as she watched them shake their long mullets she said, “Oh, mom, that was the style back then? That’s embarrassing!” These poor kids of ours that didn’t get to live through the 80’s…
Thanks Mindy, nice thoughts.
If I may make a suggestion, as a former retail customer service person, always ask for a manager if you have a problem with a product. Sales clerks aren’t authorized to make exceptions, they are just given rules to follow. A manager is much more likely to do what you want, especially if you are a little pushy. Not rude pushy, just “This is what I was promised so this is what I want” pushy. Managers want you out of their face as soon as possible so they can get back to their paperwork and they will often be more flexible.
Next time, will you come with me, please?????? Isn’t it funny that because I wanted to be a nice Christian, I accepted bad service? UGH. Thanks for the advice! By the way, I didn’t mention, the store closed right after that. Wonder why?!?!?!