I Can't Live Without My Internet!

I Can’t Live Without My Internet

So I’m about to move and I just got off the phone with an outsourced technical support for AT&T DSL services. I spent a whole day today, roughly an hour and a half trying to cancel my internet service. Apparently, that was a big mistake, since the day before my internet service went down. For that reason alone, they’ve locked my account into a pending stage which doesn’t allow technical support to access any part of my account. So I have no home internet for the next four days. I type this in my Word program and will have to upload later. Very caveman of me.

I wouldn’t be so upset, had I spoken with one person who remotely listened to my issue.

I first reached two Americans. I love Americans. I’m an American. We really give each other sass that no other country (save Germany) can understand. We understand attitude. EVERYONE is so entitled.

Me: You hear what I’m saying

American tech support: Yeah, I hear ya’ but try listening to what I’m telling you.

Me: You’re not telling me anything, I’m gonna tell you how it is.

American tech support: Why don’t you pass it along to my Supervisor, Mr. Eat a Steaming Pile

Me: He a Pollack like you?

And on and on…

Meanwhile I can’t phase “Charles” from Sri Lanka. He doesn’t understand sarcasm, and he certainly doesn’t understand American entitlement. And it is really frustrating. No ups. No downs. Just read from the damn cue card.

Most of the time, it’s just venting. The stupid internet is stupid. This time away has gotten me to think how much we rely on it for entertainment and information. And how easy it could be to manipulate people. If freaks me out more how much I relied on it to numb my brain. How much more work could be accomplished by not searching for porn. Or cyber-stalking. Or even doing research on model trains. Which happens to be the most nerdish, therefore, the most accurate depiction of my life on the ‘net.

Seriously…I have  packed all my belongings and have lived the simple life again. I mean it already looks like nuclear holocaust took my apartment out, why not live like it. I have all the power centralized to my room. All other locations operate on flashlight. Food is scarce and can only be prepared in the oven (okay I eat out). Water is rationed. I unplug what is unnecessary. Somewhat afraid of what is in the dark. I huddle up in my sleeping bag, waiting for the night to break. Anticipating a really horrid move. But it must be done. And things must move forward. A little under a 1/3 of my life has been in this place. If I break up my life a great deal of time was established here. But I’m not even the person who’s been here the longest. People have made this their home. I think about all the money that could’ve gone to invest in a home. It makes me a bit nauseous. But my gut retracts a bit whenever one of my friends complains about a repair to his home. Investing? I suppose. It makes more sense if you see Los Angeles as a permanent home. Otherwise, it’s a money trap…either way really.

I think about when people use to write by candlelight. Man, that must’ve been a really contemplative time. I imagine nowadays there are way too many distractions to invest any real time in that. That saddens me. Pen to paper is fading in many peoples’ memories. I hope technology breaks down every once in a while to remind us that we were fine without it.

And yes, I understand the hypocrisy of typing this out on a laptop. Technology to explain why we don’t need technology. I get it, smartenheimers.