So today I needed to call a utility company. Ok, I know that that in itself should strike a chord of fear…. but it had to be done and well things might have progressed right?

Well, they did progress from never being answered or being constantly engaged to having a call waiting system. On answering I was informed that all operators were busy but my call was important to them and to stay on the line. I was also told (in a school teacher type of voice, with a hint of impatience) that the calls will be answered in the order they were received (as though I was asking them to help me jump the queue). Then I was informed that I was first in the queue. Wow, I thought, my lucky day!!!! I mean if you are told you are 54th in a queue, you would probably just put down the phone. Personally…. past 4th in the queue I would probably “try again later”! But here I was FIRST. I am not sure if I was ever first at anything in my life… but here I was first. So at any moment, they would pick up my call.

Music played in the background, and suddenly it was interrupted. Yeah, my turn now… except it was to inform me as above and let me know that I was still first in the queue. Resume music. Several interruptions later (perhaps no music would be less frustrating than interrupted music) I was expecting to have moved from first in the queue to second or fifth even. Considering I was supposedly first in the queue, the time seemed intermidable. Anyway, finally my call was picked up…. by an answering machine and informed me they would call back. Do I believe that? I am still waiting for that call!!! What do I do next??

So much for technology moving us forward, now I feel like I should not even keep trying to call them as they have my message and they will call back. Surely!