Forty seven minute miracle

I bought a printer solely because it was featured on The Apprentice, and it has shockingly required two new parts in one year despite this rigorous research.

Last week, I had to call technical assistance.  You know the drill. After pressing 1 for English, entering my account info, and waiting on the phone for half an hour, my mood had gotten a little sour.  When I got the person supposedly going to help me, he's in India.

He did well reading "Have you dislodged the printer head and tried to clean it yourself, invalidating the warrantee," but struggled with the language when we got off script.  His name was "Chris."

At one point, I had to reboot something and wait five minutes.  Well, Southerners don't wait five minutes without filling it with conversation.  During that time, we struggled to understand each other but I managed to find out the following:

1. He lived two hours from the Ganges River.

2. He has never been to America.

3.  His brother lives in New York and is getting married in July. 

Anyway, it got me thinking about what impression he has of our country, if it relies on the hundreds of conversations he has with Americans suffering from technical problems related to their computers after being on hold?  (I used to wait tables.  If my sole impression of Americans came from my customers, I'd probably pack up and head to the nearest cave.)

This is neither here nor there... just a thought.  Today I tried to cancel a flight to Boston, but the website wouldn't allow me.   I was forced to call and press "1" and enter account info over and over and over, and wait while the "assistants are busy helping other customers" and apparently reading the entire Twilight series.  Then, after waiting and finally getting someone, the phone inexplicably cut out and I lost her.  

Before making the second call of the day, I vowed to be polite and kind to the guy who was just trying to do his job... and it wasn't the worst 47 minutes I've ever spent.  Yes, I said 47... not including the first call or the time searching the incomprehensible website in vain.

Breathe in, breathe out.

The guy who so kindly sent me a new printer head for my Kodak Apprentice printer is going to go to the wedding in New York. After spending a week in Manhattan, there's no telling what he'll think of us!

But I made it through my 47 minutes without losing my cool... and for that small miracle, I'm thankful.