Thursday Tidbits

Posted on March 13, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with 3 comments

Confusion Square 2014

From the sound of things, I am certainly not the only shopper in the world who has received poor customer service…or none at all. This is not a knock on Nova Scotia but it is. Sort of.  I am heading to Florida tomorrow and while I can’t predict the weather, there is something I know with certainty. I will receive excellent service wherever I go. Florida knows where their bread is buttered and they have the client service piece nearly perfected. Now, they’re not perfect and you will encounter the odd clerk who is disinterested ( See  “Shell Lacking” in the archives on my webpage – November 23/13 ) but that is the exception to the rule.

Our community and our Province have so much going for them but I think there is a general malaise when it comes to customer service. Some ( very few ) excel while a great majority wallow in mediocrity and a small number are pathetic. I recently took a course on Social Media. I got to meet a number of business people in the community who are trying to improve their skill set. I believe the government should offer mandatory courses in client service for small businesses.  OK.  Enough of that.  Not quite a Rick Mercer “rant”, but close.

This Saturday I will be posting the story “Head on Collision” which reflects on the challenges of so many families who have a spouse working in Alberta and doing the commute. It’s hard on everyone and when you get a tired worker coming home from 21 days straight of 12 hour days, running headlong into the other spouse who has managed the house and several children for 21 days ( 24 hours a day ), the results can be disastrous. Spoiler alert: the story has a happy ending.

I am still basking in the glow from the 48 hour music fest on the weekend. In case you missed my post on Monday, I put a list of my 10 favorite albums of all times on Facebook. There was a chain of comments that went on relentlessly for the better part of two days. I ended up writing a story called “The Songs We Sang.” Coming soon.

One of the early paragraphs talks about my university days and mentions the student strike in 1971. The epicentre of strike activities was an area called “Confusion Square”, a former parking lot area adjacent to Xavier Hall and across the street from Morrison Hall. The main issue in the strike was co-ed housing which would be laughable today. But back then, it was a very big deal. Big enough to shut down the university before the end of the year. We got to do “take home exams.” I know several people who wrote those exams at the Triangle Tavern ( now Piper’s Pub ). I asked for and received some interesting photos from that time period.

Every song brings back a memory. The soundtrack of our lives.

I was thrilled to receive an e-mail from a high school friend and former teaching colleague. I think I’ve only seen him once in the last 35 years. He heard about my book and tracked me down. We taught in the same school in Fairview ,Alberta. I had an instant flashback to a particular Good Friday in that staunchly Catholic community when a bunch of us decided to have a party. It was bad enough to be partying at all on such a solemn occasion. But it gets much worse. It was an outdoor party and (ouch) the house was located directly behind the church. It was sunny and warm. It was during the Good Friday service.  Fill in the blanks!

I will be checking in from Florida. My son and I are going to attend the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill golf tournament next week in Orlando… as spectators, of course!  I am sure there will be a story or two.

Have a great weekend.

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