When you have expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. – Ryan Reynolds-Canadian American actor, producer, writer (1976- )
When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have. – Stephen Hawking, Theoretical physicist (1942-2018)
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. – Dr. Seuss, American artist, cartoonist (1904-1991)
Tracking said my order was on the way; I could hardly wait. I love getting packages, especially when I’ve ordered something for myself or a friend or family member. Like a child waiting for Christmas, there’s waiting and waiting and more waiting. They said my package would arrive in two days. Two days went by, and the package did not arrive. The next notice said it would be three or four days. I started to get anxious. On day four the notice said on day five or six; possibly seven or eight.
The silent movie, “The Perils of Pauline” released in 1914 was about a young woman who went through trials and tribulations trying to get from one place to another to arrive at her destination. The movie was re-edited and released numerous times. I remembered that movie. My package moved along like Pauline and her perils.
Tracking my package, it had left a facility in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee to Columbus arriving in two days. It was exciting until I found the mailbox empty. I began to obsessively track the package’s journey. From Columbus the package went to Tupelo an hour away. From Tupelo it traveled to Miami, Florida for a few days’ vacation. It left Miami for Memphis. I got excited again. Surely the package would arrive the next day. The next day the tracker said the package was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From Tulsa the package arrived at Grenada less than two hours away.
It was time to contact the company for help. Everyone was extremely nice. I learned when your package is enroute it goes through multiple carriers hired to transport goods and packages. The initial business you may have ordered from may use multiple carriers to get your goods and packages to your destination. I was told it was most likely the package would leave Grenada and arrive at the Columbus destination by the next morning.
The next morning the package arrived at the Jackson facility for processing two hours away. My perils had suddenly taken a Dr. Seuss turn: “You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting place…”
The very next day the package arrived as Dr. Seuss would say, “I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.” Dr. Seuss was full of wisdom in the most lyrical way. You see it was never a package so urgently in need that I couldn’t just wait a bit longer indeed.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
