Preparation (and) Time

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It has been over 25 years since I did a hiking/camping trip where I had to pack everything I needed in a backpack. The good news is that there is a lot of lighter equipment now compared to back then. The tent I have now is about half the weight of the one I took years ago. The bad news is that I feel like a rookie and I know I’ve overpacked.

My buddy and I head to Tofino this weekend. Then on Wednesday we drop his van at the north end of the West Coast Trail and take a bus to the southern trailhead. We’ll spend a night at the trailhead before heading out on the 6 night, 75km trail.

Today was a prep day. I bought all my last minute supplies and started sorting food into daily rations. We did a preliminary 5km walk, with packs almost full, early this afternoon. Our packs are heavy, but manageable. I just need to make sure that now that I’ve got everything, it’s still all going to fit.

I’m not surprised how much prep is required, but it still feels like a lot when you are in the thick of it. The prep is worth it though, I’m looking forward to getting back to this trail after going 29 years ago. When I did it back then, it was with my in-laws, (before I married my wife), and my mother-in-law was my age now.

Something I think no one is prepared for is how quickly time flies when you get older. Prepared or not, I’m heading into my 59th birthday with an attitude that I’ve got a lot more life to live… and this camping trip is a perfect example of me trying to make the most of it.

Customer dis-service

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I needed to update my home phone, internet, tv, and security contracts today. I also had to complain about an overpayment, some contracts ended but one didn’t, and prices went up for all. I was pretty sure fees could not rise mid-contract and I was correct. I called and chose to be called back rather than being put on hold for an estimated 30 minutes.

On the callback, the first person couldn’t deal with the refund, but I didn’t know that until about 35 minutes in, then I was put on hold and transferred. The second service agent put me on hold four times, twice for over 10 minutes. The call was one hour and thirty-four minutes long.

We pay a lot monthly for these services. I don’t mind the wait and callback, I do however think that renewing contracts and having them correct a mistake where they overcharged me should not take an hour and a half. I could feel my frustration mounting even before I got to the second agent.

Technology writer and activist Cory Doctorow coined the word ‘enshittification’ to describe the predictable decline of many online platforms over time. I think I see this in customer service too. The first agent was so interested in upselling me and trying to keep me for a service I wanted to drop, that he neglected to tell me that he couldn’t deal with the refund. He was likely more focused on incentives for himself than service to me. The second agent didn’t have the authority to help me despite the first agent telling me she could, and so I was left waiting. I asked a secondary question that was again above her pay grade and had to wait again.

This feels like customer dis-service. I wasn’t served, I was dealt with. A nuisance to be put up with, to be made to wait. And let’s face it, AI agents aren’t going to make this process better for a long time. The companies that are going to be successful in the future are ones that truly put customers first… because they will be so rare that they will be a delight to deal with.

First day hike

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Dave and I wanted to do something special on the first day of school as new retirees. I suggested hiking the Sea to Sky and taking the gondola down. We took the challenging route up. It was more technical than we expected, but totally doable. It took us a little over 2.5 hours.

What a great way to start the new school year. We might make something like this a new tradition.

Plans, not planning

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It feels a bit weird. Good, but weird. Tomorrow is the first day back to school for teachers and students. Usually this evening is one of feeling the real crunch of ‘back to school’. Normally about now I’d be thinking about my staff meetings, and making sure enough food is ordered. I’d also be thinking of my year goals and feeling the excitement that comes with all the potential for a great school year ahead. But instead of a whirlwind of planning circulating in my brain, I’ve got a few set plans… Starting tomorrow with going on a hike with a buddy who also just retired.

I didn’t expect to feel this mentally free. I thought the new school year pangs would still haunt me. They aren’t. I think one of the things that made this transition so easy is that I got to work closely with my replacement for half a year and I know my schools have been left in excellent, competent hands. There is a catharsis that comes with knowing the schools I loved for 13 and 14 years are going to continue to thrive.

So, no planning to do other than to pack a lunch, drinks, snacks, and an extra layer of clothing. No slideshow presentations, no greeting nervous new students. No big yearly school goals. No staff meetings, no district directives to regurgitate. No obligations to share videos for health and safety or harassment or violence in the workplace… And no onslaught of emails!

I honestly wasn’t sure how ready I was to leave it all behind until now. But I’ve got plans. First, a plan to go for a hike. Then a plan to do the West Coast Trail in a week and a half. And then a plan to spend 3 weeks in Ontario visiting family and friends. And finally a plan to figure out what the rest of retirement looks like… some time in November.

~

I wish everyone retuning to the new school year a great year ahead!

Dear Teachers

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You don’t know.

You don’t know that when a kid asked a question, and you went on a personal tangent and told a little side story, that this unplanned moment was what a kid proudly talked about when her parent said, “What did you learn at school today?”

You don’t know that when a kid messed up (again), you were the only adult he knows who didn’t yell at him and actually gave him another chance.

You don’t know that the kid who comes to class early is doing so because you make them feel safe.

You don’t know that 5 years from now a kid will look back at you as their best teacher… ever.

You don’t know that you are the topic of conversation at dinner tables, because you make a student’s day fun.

You don’t know all the ways that you can make a student’s day special when you remember that you teach kids, not subjects, and you treat kids with dignity and respect.

You don’t know just how much power you have to change the lives of the students you serve.

Walled In

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My wife and I just arrived home from Nelson, BC. We drove, it’s about 8 hours driving time, not including charging time for our electric vehicle. It makes for a long day. In Nelson, we met some great friends, had some delicious food, and we also had some wonderful time together before she starts back at school next week and I start my retirement off with 5 of the next 7 weeks away from home.

Nelson is a really quaint and inviting city to visit, but I could never live there. The mountains are too close for me. The local hills look more like walls than hills. It’s odd to look out a window and see what looks like a vertical wall of trees. But that’s not what really makes me feel walled in, what does this to me is the prolonged dusk time.

Dusk has always been a time that I feel sleepy. This wasn’t a problem when I lived in Barbados. There, the sun hits the horizon over water and fifteen minutes later it’s dark. In Nelson dusk lasts for hours. The sun goes behind the mountains, the light gets muted and it stays like that until the sun finally sets below an unseen horizon.

And that whole time I feel tired, my eyes feel weaker, and I don’t want to do anything. It’s funny because I’m sitting in my back patio at home in the Vancouver lower mainland at dusk right now, and I can honestly say it’s not as bad as Nelson. I think it’s a combination of the length of time for dusk there and an added darkness from the mountain walls that make it more challenging there… well, more challenging for me anyway.

Again, Nelson is a wonderful city, But I think I need a horizon line that is a little lower than Nelson has to offer. It’s a city that, for me, conveys the sentiment, ‘A great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there’. I’d just feel too walled in.

Good People

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We are in Nelson BC, where my wife grew up. While here we have connected with many of her friends from the past. Good people.

In October I’ll be travelling to Ontario to visit family and friends. Many of my friends date back to university days and even high school. Again, good people.

Despite the fact that we can stay connected online, geography matters when trying to stay connected with friends. While it’s fantastic to reconnect with wonderful people, it can feel a little unfortunate that we don’t see them more. Still, the reconnections have been (and will be) special. These are moments to appreciate. They are reminders of how lucky we are to have formed friendships we can always come back to.

Breakfast Special

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I love creative meals, and this morning at the Hume Hotel in Nelson BC, I gave their breakfast special a try. It was a Mexican pulled pork Eggs Benedict, with sautéed spinach, pickled red onion, and topped with micro clover. That’s a combination I’d never think to put together.

It was delicious.

I sent my compliments to the chef, and the waiter told us she would definitely appreciate it. Apparently she’s only the chef on Thursday mornings, and she tries to make the special unique every week. Kudos to her. I’m just sorry that I’m not in Nelson more often to try her specials.

My wife often compliments me when I put together a dinner from whatever we have in the fridge. I do have a knack for being a bit creative with my meals. That said, I would readily admit that my creativity sits in a narrow ban. Pulled pork Eggs Benedict is so far out of my culinary imagination that I’d never consider such a combination. And I admire when I see creative chefs coming up with unique recipes beyond what I would ever come up with.

I’m a foodie at heart. I get tremendous joy out of food, and I love, love, love trying different foods from different cultures and also the fusion of foods that I’d never think of. The breakfast special this morning was a wonderful example of the latter.

The next time I’m in Nelson, I’m going to try to make sure that I’m here for Thursday morning breakfast at the Hume.

No Nuance

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One of the biggest issues we face today is the lack of nuance. Over and over again I’ve shared the idea that we don’t live in a dichotomy, but we keep being pushed to the extremes. Here are some post excerpts:

‘Abnormally Normal’ – “But the new normal is not normal. The dichotomy of politics, the hatred between religious extremists, the focus on vengeance and public shaming in social media, police violence against citizens, the inability to share middle-ground opinions without fear of being ‘othered’ by both sides of the political dichotomy… it’s like we’ve slipped into a dystopian movie, and we are left wondering if this is real life?”

‘My one ’ism’ – “My one ‘ism’ is pluralism… We want to live, thrive, and love in a pluralistic society. We just need to recognize that in such a society we must be tolerant and accepting of opposing views, unaccepting of hateful and hurtful acts, and smart enough to understand the difference.”

‘Ideas on a Spectrum’ – “In a civil society, dialogue is the one problem-solving strategy that should be sacred. To do this, free speech is essential. But right now there is a culture of ‘attack the opposition’ that is very scary.”

‘Shades of grey’ – “Just a simple reminder that we don’t live in a dichotomy. The world isn’t either black or white. Most ideas sit somewhere in between.”

I’m guilty of it myself.

I ranted about annoying requests for customer service surveys, but most customer service is good and on average better than in the past.

I complained about an increase in unrealistic parent demands, but the vast majority of parents do a great job.

The reality is that we tend to focus on the extremes and social media algorithms feed this focus ferociously. So, that’s where our attention goes.

I’m going to make a concerted effort to pay attention to nuance in the coming weeks… I’m going to wholeheartedly focus on subtleties and on noticing variances in views and opinions, rather than seeking out the extremes. I feel like this is going to be harder than expected, but I’ll give it a try.

How did we do today?

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I went to my local drug store to pick up a prescription this morning. I walked in and stated my name, the pharmacist asked me my date of birth, then she went into a drawer,picked up my prescription, and handed it to me. I paid for it and left. Before I even got to my car I got a text:

Thanks for visiting [Drug Store Name]. How did we do today?

To rate your overall pharmacy experience, reply with a number 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. We appreciate the feedback!

I replied: STOP

…And received an unsubscribed notification text. But here is the thing: I never subscribed.

This evening I was sent an email from the same pharmacy titled, ‘How Did We Do?’, asking me to ‘Take a short Survey’.

I don’t remember when the line was crossed, but it has been crossed. You share personal information like your phone number and/or your email address, and companies believe it’s their right to contact you and ask for feedback or to promote products and sales. And the thing is you always end up giving them your phone number or your email because, for example, you need to become a member in order to get the sale price, and you can’t become a member without sharing these details.

I can understand asking me, ‘ How did we do today?’ If I spent 2 hours getting a service from you, or if I contacted customer service to help me solve a challenging problem. I get it if we’ve been through a two month process together. I can’t understand what you expect me to say about a 45 second interaction?

What meaningful data are you getting, and at what cost of annoyance to your customers?

I can’t pick up a prescription without being hounded for feedback on the transaction? I can’t read your website without accepting all cookies, and closing the window inviting me to subscribe to your newsletter? I can’t see your 1-minute news clip without viewing two fifteen second ads, the first of which I can’t skip and the second I have to wait 7 seconds to skip? I have to watch a 5 minute video where you spend 4 minutes telling me what you are going to tell me.

You want to help me? Stop this nonsense.

You want my feedback? Stop asking for so much feedback. Stop burying the lead behind advertising or behind a slow-burn audience retention strategy designed to evokes sunk cost feeling like, ‘Dang, I’ve listened for 4 minutes now, I’ve invested too long to miss the ending now.’ And stop asking for engagement (like, comment, subscribe) before you get to the point.

Just stop it… Please!