A Little Reminder from the Universe

In April I bought a new iPhone and a MacBook Pro. Last week I had to take both in for repairs at the local Apple store. I ended up having to go in twice and I faced these two trips with completely different mindsets and as a result, had two completely different experiences. It was a great reminder that what we give to the universe is exactly what we get back.

To say I was in a bad mood when I left my house Friday for my appointment would be an understatement. I purchased my very expensive MacBook because I’d had recurring hardware troubles with my previous two Dell laptops and I’d had enough. The fact that three months later I was dealing with a hardware problem on the Mac really wasn’t sitting well with me.

Running all sorts of possible negative scenarios in my head, I was spoiling for a fight when I left my house. It was hot and muggy out and the traffic was snarled up. Clearly my GPS was plotting against me for some previous slight and sent me on the worst possible routing. I dislike malls and I really dislike the Apple store. It’s hot and noisy and full of teenagers playing on the dozen or so iPads out for display. I pulled into the mall, having no idea exactly where the Apple store was, couldn’t find a parking spot and, as usual, had to go to the bathroom.

As I made my way to the Genius Bar at the back of the store, I was waylaid by a smiling young man who wanted to check me in for my appointment. He had the unenviable job of telling me that due to my being six minutes late my iPhone appointment had been cancelled. I was a bitch extremely annoyed and blamed it on not being able to find their store. He apologized, checked me in for my laptop appointment and, as I left to go find a bathroom, suggested that I get back to the store at least five minutes ahead of my now single appointment. I assured him that since I was lugging my laptop around I couldn’t exactly go shopping.

I had trouble following the signs to the restroom in the nearest big department store and, when I finally found it, it was crowded and dirty. Back in line for my appointment at the Apple store, I continued to fume. When it was my turn, six minutes late, another young man tried unsuccessfully to replicate the problem I was having. In spite of the laptop working perfectly at the store, parts were ordered. I was told it would be two or three days until the parts came in at which time I would have to surrender my laptop for three or four days for them to effect the repair. If I wanted to wait around they would try to fit me back in to the schedule and look at my iPhone. I declined and left the mall.

I stopped on my way home and had dinner and a beer. I stopped at a local nail shop and had a pedicure. I stopped at the movie theatre for an escapist adventure flick. Equanimity finally restored, I went home. Truly a lousy day.

The next morning I headed back to the Apple store to have my iPhone looked at and, good mood restored, I had a completely different day. I cruised down to the mall with almost no traffic and found a parking spot right in front of the mall entrance. Twenty minutes ahead of my appointment, I strolled into a department store, quickly found the empty, clean and quiet ladies room and then proceeded straight to Apple. Not particularly bothered by the crowded and noisy store, I waited to be called. My iPhone acted up for the service person just like it always does for me. He took it in the back room, swapped out the faceplate and gave it back to me, now working perfectly, five minutes later.

I live my life with the belief that you get back what you put out there and I appreciated this little reminder of the validity of that belief. I also took another lesson from this experience.

It’s easy to be in a good mood when you have very few deadlines and no one to answer to but yourself. Next time I find myself taken aback by someone whose stress is showing, I’m going to be a little more understanding!