Holding On and Letting Go 🎈

Fortune_Smiles

themadvix said:

Well done Fortune. You are always so good at keeping your cool and making sure justice is upheld - I just never keep my cool and it end up stewing inside while letting people get away with it. Can you give lessons? (Actually, thinking about this, they could be quite fun for you, as you'd get to press all our buttons and make us mad while training us on how not to let them get to us! )

Thank you MV.  In my previous life I was a Learning & Development Manager and one of the subjects I taught was Assertiveness.  I can't say I always keep my cool in these situations but my trick is to buy myself some time ("let me just have a minute to think about that", "I'll call you back", etc), consider what outcome I want and behave in a way that's most likely to achieve that outcome.  It means over-riding the fight or flight response but, sadly, I've had decades of practice at that now.  I'm also a natural cynic so had done my research on my rights 😆

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Swayingseaweed said:

What a day you had. Glad you stood your ground against them. 
Seaweed x 

Thank you Swaying.  It took a lot of time and energy to fight this battle but it was one worth fighting.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

SandyShores said:

Gosh Fortune, I feel exhausted just reading about that blooming saga.  Honestly, makes my blood boil.  Well done for staying calm and showing them your mettle.  It feels to me that a lot of interactions these days are like this, where you have to have your wits about you plus a few tricks up your sleeve to 'do battle' - and these are supposedly reputable, reliable companies.  I think you could start up a business as a professional advocate - I'd definitely hire you.  Hope you have recovered, I too would be exhausted, but pleased (but saying 'why does it have to be like this these days?).

Thank you Sandy.  It does seem that way doesn't it.  I have acted as a mediator for community issues in the past.  I once told a headmaster of a prestigious private school that it was down to him to "be the adult" in a sitution which had resorted to name calling 😆

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou said:

“The old lady”. 

How absolutely unacceptable.  

I know Beanie!  I've gone back and amended my post because what he actually said was "The old woman" which I find even more of an insult.  What has my age or the fact that I am a woman got to do with it!  How about "the homeowner" or "Mrs Smith".  I didn't get hooked by that one though as I wanted to concentrate on getting the pole issue resolved.  Will keep it up my sleeve in case there is any fallout.

Another of the workmen had a chat with me and said "It's just us being here as well isn't it.  It's change and you don't like change."  No - it's because you have not stuck to the legal agreement we made and are trampling all over my rights 😡 I did push back on that one.

I've not encountered ageism up 'til now and I don't like it and will not be putting up with it.

Fortune x

badmemory

What a good job you were able to be there to see what was going on.

BookWorm

themadvix said:

Well done Fortune. You are always so good at keeping your cool and making sure justice is upheld - I just never keep my cool and it end up stewing inside while letting people get away with it. Can you give lessons? (Actually, thinking about this, they could be quite fun for you, as you'd get to press all our buttons and make us mad while training us on how not to let them get to us! )

^^^ this sounds like a great idea! 

Fortune - what a day it sounds! Very impressed with the way you stood your ground and good on on you for doing so.

savingholmes

Well done. They won't hopefully be as cavalier in a similar situation next time.

Merlin's_Beard

Glad you stood up for your rights - it's not fair to agree to one thing then do another!

Suffolk_lass

A quick catch up on another diary I have not had time to read and I wanted to congratulate both of you - Mr F on his resignation and you on the utility pole issue.

We have a horrible proposal here in East Anglia from National Grid to run 180km of 50m high pylons across our skies and land, all to take the electricity generated on wind farms in the North Sea into London. Elsewhere (Scotland, and between Essex and Kent) the electricity is being transported under the sea but it seems they will not entertain this and have resolved to wreck our countryside with 1960s technology. I do not think people here understand that they do not have to sign a wayleave. All the offshore farms are privately owned and they gaily sign contracts to take it with no real plan for moving it. The lobbying is for an offshore grid, with landing points on brownfield locations close to consumption points. Since some of the electricity we exchange is between South America and Europe, and between Norway and UK, and of course, between France and UK, all under the see, NG don't seem to think we are bright enough to realise that these prove undersea transmission is possible, and preferable for people's health and wellbeing. Sorry to rant on your diary after nearly a month of radio silence. Your day touched a nerve here!

Fortune_Smiles

badmemory said:

What a good job you were able to be there to see what was going on.

Yes BM - otherwise we would be stuck with it!  They did try to tell me that I would have to let them go ahead and take it up with the network provider afterwards.  No way I was going to lose my leverage by allowing that to happen.  They obviously thought I was an idiot and a pushover - if only they knew 😆

BookWorm said:

themadvix said:

Well done Fortune. You are always so good at keeping your cool and making sure justice is upheld - I just never keep my cool and it end up stewing inside while letting people get away with it. Can you give lessons? (Actually, thinking about this, they could be quite fun for you, as you'd get to press all our buttons and make us mad while training us on how not to let them get to us! )

^^^ this sounds like a great idea! 

Fortune - what a day it sounds! Very impressed with the way you stood your ground and good on on you for doing so.

Thank you BW.  Having spent the whole of yesterday researching for Mr F's new adventure - I don't think I'm going to have time to do anything else 😂  Three tax returns every year is enough to keep me out of trouble for good 😆

savingholmes said:

Well done. They won't hopefully be as cavalier in a similar situation next time.

Sadly SH, I think they will carry on regardless... but maybe not if they have to come back to the Fortunate homestead 😆

Merlin's_Beard said:

Glad you stood up for your rights - it's not fair to agree to one thing then do another!

No it's not MB - or indeed legal 😉

Fortune x