In the Corporate Nation, our humanity is constantly tested and bested. We try to be human, dealing with vast greedy entities that are anything but, even if their recorded messages are telling again and again how much they appreciate our business and our call. As many readers of this blog know, I am definitely a happy user of new technology – computer, cell, blog, video, Ipad, Ipod. I love and appreciate all of them.

It does sadden me, though, that of all the companies I deal with, the only one that treats me like anything approximating a human being is Apple, and I appreciate it. They have my loyalty for life, at least until someone takes them over and fattens up the bottom line by making sure no customers or consumers are treated as humans. I hope Verizon never gets them. Maybe other companies will notice how much money they make.

I am old enough to remember AT&T before it was broken up. When you called to report a phone out of order, nice men in trucks appeared instantly and they fixed it.  Phones were important, and the people who worked for the phone companies seemed to know that. They seemed to actually care. Then the age of the megaconglomerate, the end of government regulation and adult supervision of corporations and the lessons of that don’t need to be told by me.

My house phone went out about a week ago. Every day since then, I have called Verizon (average wait time 30 to 45 minutes) and been assured that a repair person would be there that day.  Somebody would be in touch. Somebody would call. That was six or seven days ago, and I have never heard from anyone. Today I finally reached a representative after much navigating through phone trees urging me to go online (and be ignored there)  and told her that it seemed our daily communications were not working. She put me on hold. I have bad news for you, she said. No repair people were in the area.

Could I talk to a supervisor? Sure, she said, but it won’t do you any good. It didn’t. This afternoon, a repair truck pulled onto the farm and it seems the problem might be in some control box far away. We’ll see. Maria and I both have cells, and after this week, I think it might be time to jettison the land line. I gather that is what a lot of people are doing and what  Verizon would like. Cells are much cheaper for then to maintain.

I always thing these mishaps are a challenge to my humanity. I always take a deep breath, remember that there are human beings on the other end of the line who have little power or control. Sometimes you get lucky and find one who cares.  Technology distances us from one another. I rarely speak to anyone on the phone anymore, and perhaps there is a message in that. The modern American corporation work for stockholders, not customers, and that is something we all have to live with. I don’t want to be angry. I don’t want to ever be rude or hostile.

I am better equipped than some to deal with companies like this. I work at home, and don’t have to take mornings off from work waiting for somebody to call. But I do get angry when I think of the elderly, or people with two jobs, or something with a lot of other troubles trying to get only what they have paid for and are due. Technology is always a mixed bag, that is tragedy of it. It taketh and giveth away.

But it will not take away my humanity.