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.