Sept 8th-
Complaining is good for you as long as you're not complaining to the person you're complaining about.
Lynn Johnston
The receptionist, as sweet as she was, had no earthly idea what I was talking about. I don’t blame her. I don’t even know what I’m talking about. So here I am with my power of attorney as instructed by my husband, as told by “some lady” at ACS (which stands for Army Community Service) whom he thinks may have been called Lisa, picking up “paperwork” for my Korea overseas screening. “I can take your name and number and have someone call you.” I know a blow off when I see one and this was it. After having called all morning long, and not so much as having an opportunity to leave a message, here I am leaving the place without the all-knowing, necessary “paperwork”.
On my way home, I did get a phone call, but it wasn’t a Lisa, it was another blow off aka Alice. “The paperwork you need is at the hospital.”
I know this not to be true for two reasons,
1) The hospital staff with whom I made the appointment with asked that I pick up all important “paperwork” before coming to my appointment.
2) When I said I would be stopping by ACS before coming to my appointment she said “okay.”
So I explained expressedly how I knew this not to be the case. She said she would ask around and call me back. I called my husband and he called but was also unable to get anyone to pick up. Five hours, two empty hands and a combat boot full of tears later the phone rings. “I have the “paperwork” for you. I will leave it with the receptionist.”
“Fantastic!” I exclaimed asking if she knew whom (Lisa?)my husband had talked to and if she was available to speak with so I could figure out whom (Lisa?)to return the paperwork to after it is completed. I was still lost on why I was supposed to bring my power of attorney since at this point it seemed it wasn’t necessary. There was a pause, and she said no one she could find had spoken to my husband and that I would need to turn the paperwork into the hospital. I also knew this to be untrue, so I said (finally having had my fill of the needlessly complicated day), “You know what, let me call my husband and he will get back in touch with whoever it was he spoke with and we can get this straightened out.”
The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason.
T.S. Eliot
“Oh maim that won’t be necessary, come on in, you said your appointment is tomorrow? Correct? Well you’d better make it here as soon as possible because I do see there are quite a few pages to be filled out and it could take you awhile. I will wait by the front door and personally walk you over to out-processing and they can help you with any extra questions you may have. When can you get here?”
I now have in my hands this great, all-powerful “paperwork” that was so elusive like democracy in the Middle East, I call my husband and he say’s “Actually I spoke to two people and both their names were Lisa.”
