Are the dice always loaded against the ‘little person’?

WHEN we experience a coincidence I imagine most of us take a moment out to think about it and ask if there is more to it than just that, a coincidence. But that’s exactly what a coincidence is, events happen without any apparent causal connection. No doubt when we experience a number of coincidences in quick succession we are inclined to think there is a hidden message somewhere. Most likely not.

I had one of those ‘weird’ coincidences on Saturday June 23. On that day I had a column in a national newspaper about the importance of calling a person by her or his proper name. I was arguing that when we call a person by their proper name we are showing them respect.

That same day I received a call from Harvey Norman informing me that my smart watch was ready for collection. The person on the phone at first called me ‘Mags’, when I told him that my name was Michael, he said, ‘sorry about that Mick’. I quickly corrected him, saying that no, my name is Michael and I dislike being called ‘Mick’.

And all that happened on the same day that my piece on calling people by their proper names appeared. It gave me a good laugh. It was the dictionary definition of the word ‘ coincidence’.

The saga of my smart watch is worth recounting.In May 2017 I bought a Garmin smart watch. It does more than tell the time. It gives a breakdown of my activities: the number of steps taken, kilometres cycled and walked. It can even give an account of one’s sleeping patterns. A magic machine. That is, until it breaks down.

On a number of occasions, it stopped synchronising with my iPad, eventually it collapsed and I could not turn it on. I returned it to the store on two occasions. On that coincidental phone call they informed me that they would replace the faulty watch. I was delighted. Alas, my delight lasted a short time.

When I went to the store I discovered they did not have a similar watch available, nor would the model be back in stock. They offered me a more expensive watch at a reduced price. Just as I was about to buy it I had the sense to ask if it was compatible with the operating system on my iPad. No, it wasn’t. Luckily I did not buy it. Eventually the store offered to give me a credit note for the value of the watch.

I’m still asking myself why they simply did not return me my money. I had been ‘fortunate’ to have paid extra money extending the warranty of the watch. I am still confused as to the length of the warranty as I seem to have received different information, depending on who spoke to me. But when I was given the voucher for the value of the watch it did not include the money I paid for the warranty extension.

The story of the watch is yet another example of how one can feel small compared to the large conglomerate.

If you are looking for a good summer read, I strongly recommend Hans Fallada’s ‘Little Man What Now?’ It was published in Germany in 1932. It tells the story of how the dice are always loaded against the ‘ little person’. Although written 86 years ago, the story is still relevant today. Nothing changes. And that is certainly no coincidence.