Simple is not easy

I struggle to understand a lot of things - I am not perfect and neither do I wish to be. I really do believe that part of the joy of living is to be found in the overcoming of struggle.

To my mind, struggle is God's way of strengthening us enough to bear the tasks for which we were each uniquely designed to deliver - but this is not the purpose of this post.

I had one of those days yesterday - when nothing at all went right. In fact, from the morning - everything just seemed to go 'pear-shaped'. I know deep within, that thinking anything other than this is another one the challenges designed to make me grow, is counter productive. So, I get that, and I am prepared not only to live with it, but to learn to embrace it and indeed love it. Therein lies the magic of living.

But, here's the bit that I don't get.. .. ..

I had an appointment (set up) and doubly confirmed for 3:30pm. So, I make sure that I run my last appointment like a well-oiled military operation to get to that appointment on time. I go to great lengths to make absolutely sure that I do what I say, when I said I'd do it and how I said I'd do it. When I get there (4 minutes to spare) - I call my appointment to let him know that I'd arrived and that I'd wait for him outside the restaurant. Five minutes after schedule, nothing. Ten minutes after schedule..still nothing; no acknowledgement, no call - abyss.

Fifteen minutes - I decide not to look like a spare part - and besides, it was getting cold - so I go inside and order a cup of coffee.

Twenty minutes - nothing. Okay - Now what do I do? I usually give a fifteen minute window before I think it's time to take it as read that that'll end up being a no-show.

I waited half an hour. Still nothing (I needed to finish my coffee anyway)

I wanted to be mad as hell - but I have been going through something of a transformation lately, so I decided that I'd not be upset by it - it was an inconvenience - but I didn't really suffer any great loss (comparatively speaking).

So, what I'm grappling with is what causes people to commit commercial suicide? The long and the short of it is that my 'opposite number' has communicated so much. Conduct speaks so much louder than words. In the fullness of time - what impression do I now have of someone who could not do something as simple as call to offer one of three conditions:

1. He could have cancelled beforehand - and thus saved me from making a twenty seven mile trip that I really did not have to make
2. He could have sent me a text afterwards to offer an apology or
3. He could have called afterwards to offer an explanation.

These are such simple things to so - and it could have made a huge impression. But no!

So, I thought - let's reach for and try touch the spiritual aspect of this situation - so what I did was to email this person and offer goodwill, even though he didn't show up. So, I titled my email "I don't know what happened but it must have .. .. .."

And in the body of my email wrote
"As per our emails below, I was at XXXX as arranged. I called you but your phone was off – I did leave a message :-)

Whatever your reason for not turning up, I am sure it must have been a good one.

Be well."

... and signed it off.

Well, the net effect of this is that I received a reply offering an explanation and an apology and I have had to force myself to have the good grace to accept the apology. I am not sure that I accept the explanation  though because it involves the health of a family member which he described as 'ongoing'. Well, if it was ongoing, why wasn't that anticipated and built into the mix?

Anyway - Like I said - simple is not easy!