Mike Jr | My thoughts on life, business & technology.

I was in a wedding this past weekend. A good friend of mine Josh H. got married to Misti in Austin, TX. It was a great wedding and I’m so happy for Josh and Misti. In addition, there were lots of new people to meet and good friends to connect with.

Weddings aren’t my favorite activity being that I’m single. I’m sure everyone that has been single can relate to this. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an extreme honor to be a part of such a wonderful event for friends; it’s just that it always reminds me that I’m… single.

loneliness

1. the state of being alone in solitary isolation
2. sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned
3. a disposition toward being alone

I was thinking about this topic almost the whole weekend as I felt lonely alot of the time. I was around friends; however, I was usually the 3rd or 5th wheel.

Being single is a big task. The biggest questions that get asked are, “When are you going to get married?” and “What about [place girl's name here], she’s [cute/loves missions/a christian/single]?”

1. I will get married when I find the right girl.
2. I’m looking for “Mike’s Wife Material”. (that’s a new phrase that a friend made up for me with this weekend)

Now that those questions are out of the way, I’ll address the main topic of “loneliness”. Loneliness can eat away at you in a heartbeat if you let it happen. Everyone gets lonely at some point or another. It’s when I dwell on it that I get all frustrated, depressed, etc… So to those of you who are lonely, don’t focus on it. Stop listening to lonely music. Stop reading lonely books. Stop looking at lonely magazines. “lonely stuff” is anything that reminds you that you are lonely.

I desire a companion. That desire, I believe, is a part of our lives. Alot of times we focus on supressing that desire when really we should be striving to be content in ALL things, including being single.

content

1. Desiring no more than what one has; satisfied
2. Ready to accept or acquiesce; willing: She was content to step down after four years as chief executive.

My prayer is that I will be content in what I have RIGHT NOW. I can desire to have more out of good motives; however, when it comes to the end of the day, can I lay my head down and be satisfied.

If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. – Job 36:11

The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. – Proverbs 19:23

WARNING: If you are lonely, you’d better face the reality quick! Loneliness, not dealt with, leads to poor decisions and life long consequences. Seek God in everything and do not worry about tomorrow. (Matthew 6:33)

Q: What are the odds of winning the lottery?
A: Flip a coin 24 times in a row and if heads comes up everytime, then you have a good chance!

Q: What are the odds of Michael Jackson getting convicted?
A: Well according to Tradesports.com, there is a 43% chance. (more)

Review: All Marketers are Liars
http://www.800ceoread.com/blog/archives/001193.html

Darth Vader Strikes Again!
http://story.news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20050525/en…

Home sales soar to record
http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/24/news/eco…

I have a friend who bought a spindle of DVD-R discs. After he moved, he tried using one and it wouldn’t work. So he filled out a contact form on the Memorex website. Let’s follow this communication with Memorex. [names, emails, & numbers have been changed to protect my friend's identity]

—–Original Message—–
From: John Doe [mailto:John_Doe@domain.com]
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 10:21 PM
To: Warranty Replacement Status
Subject: Memorex Warranty Replacements Status

The following information was submitted

First Name: John
Last Name: Doe
Telephone (Day): (111) 555 – 1212
Telephone (Eve): (111) 555 – 1212
Email: John_Doe@domain.com
Question: I bought a pack of 25 Memorex CD-R’s about a month ago before I moved. I opened the pack and tried to use 1 of the CDR’s but it didn’t work. I meant to figure out why but forgot b/c I had to move. I cannot find the package (except I still have the CD spindle) or the receipt of my purchase but I think the CD-R’s are ALL bad! Can you possibly replace these CD-R’s or tell me how to use them if they’re not broken? I would greatly appreciate replacement or refund of my purchase which was about $25 US.

Thanks!

Looking at this communication from an outside, objective perspective, Memorex really has very little responsibility in this from a returns perspective. They can tell my friend to return it to the store and be done with it. However, look at the extraordinary service response…

Dear Valued Customer,

We are sorry for the inconvenience you have experienced with our products, and we hope that you will give us a second chance! We strive to produce a high quality product, and to ensure this quality, we do extensive research at our manufacturing facility, and we also conduct various quality control tests.

We will be shipping your replacement. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of the items you are requesting.

Thank you
Memorex Products, Inc.
Warranty Replacement

OH MY GOSH. I am impressed. When I have a choice of choosing Memorex over another company, I will remember this email.

My friend wrote back…

Wow, what a very pleasant surprise! I have never had a faster response or a more amiable one with a customer service dept and I will let all my working relationships know about this great experience.

If you would like to include a return label and shipping package, I can return the bad DVDR’s I purchased to you for research? It would be no trouble, and hopefully you can keep this from happening to anyone else.

My Mailing Address is:

>

Thank you for your quick response and this will go a long way towards future purchases from Memorex!

Sincerely,
John Doe