There’s an old belief that trouble comes in clusters of three. Today, I would swear that superstition is true.
Trouble Number 1: My credit card statement arrived, and I checked the charges. I saw one I didn’t recognize so I called the credit card company. After pressing at least 12 digits, I finally talked to a real person.
She gave me the phone number of the company on the statement. I called their 800-number, and the recorded message stated they were a funeral home and life insurance company. I called the credit card company back, and a real person told me I had one option.
Cancel the card and they will dispute the charge. A new card would arrive in 5-7 business days.
Later, my husband said the charge could be insurance for the theater tickets I’d purchased. It was like a bolt of lightning – I had ordered the insurance because the flu was making its way through our family.
Not only did I not have a credit card for an evening out with my granddaughter, but I have a list of about 12 businesses to call and change my billing information.
Trouble Number 2: I was still upset about cancelling my credit card when I stopped at a restaurant on the way to pick up my granddaughter. I accidentally dropped my phone in the commode, thankful I’d already flushed it.
I quickly fished the phone out, grateful I’d put it in a protective shell. I took the cover apart, separated all the parts and made sure everything was dry.
Trouble Number 3: My next stop was at the post office to mail a package. The sweet lady behind the counter pointed out I’d written six numbers for the ZIP code.
“There’s only supposed to be five,” she said nicely. We looked up the right number and taped a piece of paper with the right information over my mistake.
Since this was the third misfortune I’d experienced, I figured the rest of the evening would go as planned.
I was wrong.
Trouble Number 4: We found a great parking spot at The Hobby Center, and I was convinced my troubles were over. Until I showed my tickets to a volunteer.
Her device didn’t recognize the QR code, and we’d have to go to the window. The ticket taker said my tickets were for the following evening’s performance.
This couldn’t be happening. We’d driven two hours in the rain to see this performance, and now we might not even get in because of my stupidity. Without a shred of pride, I begged the manager to let us in.
He reassured me we’d see the show that night, and they gave us new seats with a great view.
I could look at the day as a total loss, but that’s not how I decided to file the events away.
For Trouble Number 1: I learned it pays to write down odd credit card purchases so when those charges come in, they won’t cause alarm bells to go off. My brother and son also gave me some useful tips to keep track of my credit card purchases in real time.
For Trouble Number 2: It pays to get a heavy-duty protective cover for a telephone. That’s money well spent.
For Trouble Number 3: There will always be people looking out for others. When a mistake is made, they kindly help fix the mistake without judgment.
For Trouble Number 4: Even though I made a huge mistake in not checking the ticket dates, I was reminded that there are kind and generous people who show compassion when someone makes a genuine mistake.
Perhaps trouble isn’t always bad.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.