DICK HARRISON'S JOURNAL

Monday, June 18, 2018 – SERENDIPITY

    I got a nice surprise in the mail today! It was from Strache v. SCI Direct, Inc. Settlement Fund. What in the world can this be I thought as I eagerly ripped open the envelope? It was a check for $129.85!

    No idea who or what SCI Direct is or was, so I clicked on Google. It turns out The Neptune Society, Inc. is a national provider of cremation and pre-planning services, one of the largest publicly traded cremation companies in the United States.

The check is my share in a $15,000.000.00 settlement for a class action suit because the company made unsolicited robot telephone calls. I don't remember receiving those calls. I get lots of them like the one I described in the June 14 squib above. I just can't hear most of them. Thank God for small blessings.

Although I didn't use their services, I have done some pre-planning. If there is a memorial for me, I've thought of what it should look like and what it should say. I've actually drawn a design, which I'm sharing here. It's a nice little metal plaque about the size of a twopenny postal card

    (Oops! Now you see why I'm on the A-list.)

    Considering my age, I'm a prime candidate for cremation service. I had to be on their A - list of prospects. The calls must have been urgent appeals to take advantage of a "Grab it Now – Before it's Too Later" offer because the drop off rate for a phone number list like that has to be really steep.

    I think the check from The Neptune Society will cover the cost to have it engraved - with enough left over for a fine lunch.

As you see, I'm only a few days into my CI voyage and except for email contact, it's a solitary trip. But I do have "shipmates." For many years I've taken my cars to Walter, the best mechanic anywhere near here, whenever something didn't Seem right. For a time, before my hearing really deteriorated, I could say - didn't Sound right. Just a few of months ago as I was exploring whether I should consider an implant, I took my Mazda to Walter to have the brakes done. A lube tech had noted they were worn. A Mazda used to be a light bulb. I'm now driving what used to be a light bulb! How's that for progress?
    That was when I learned, to my surprise, that his wife, Kathleen, has a CI! She has a Cochlear device and took me to a Cochlear chapter meeting. Boy! Did I learn plenty there! Not just from the round table discussion, after some great pizza and salad, but there were mentors willing to help and share. Isn't it funny how God often puts the people you need in your path just when you need them?
    I've sent Kathleen this journal as it has progressed over the past few days and she just got back to me with some comments that have me sky-high about what the future holds.

     Here they are: "I'm very excited for you!! I'll be waiting to hear how things go after the 27th.
I've had my implant a little over a year now and it only gets better every day. I'm sure you will be enjoying your new experiences every day also! I won't be at all surprised if you come around here to have Walter listen to an odd noise in your car just to find out it's normal - you just never heard it.    Trust me, I know as I am still doing things like that. Heck! the refrigerator noise was strange at first, heard a noise in the motorhome that he said it has always been there for the many years we have been traveling in it- it's normal, and even in my car, that engine makes a humming noise I never heard. Anyway, continue to enjoy your journey and after the 27th, your hearing."