Now I could write a whole post about taking things for granted. How we take each other for granted. How we even often take God for granted.
But I won't; because it was too dark in the computer room and I could not get to the computer without stubbing my foot against something.
I thought the light bulb must have died so I got another one to replace it; and I stubbed my toe against the chair as I got in the room in the dark.
Click ... click ... still no light.
OK ... try another light bulb, and this time wear some shoes. I hit my knee against the computer desk.
Click ... click ... still no light.
So I tried the three light bulbs in another room. They all worked OK.
Must be the switch that is faulty. That's one step too far for me. I was absent at University when they taught us how to change faulty switches.
I rang no fewer than thirteen electricians.
You notice I said no fewer; and not no less. That's because no fewer is the correct grammatical way of saying it. I did attend that University lesson.
Anyway, all electricians were busy, except the last one I phoned who agreed to attend within the hour. It is always the last one you phone who can attend; isn't it? Why couldn't one of the others attend? They would have been the last one much earlier!
The electrician tried the switch a few times ... click ... click ... no light. That's because there was no light bulb anyway. So he put a light bulb ... click ... click ... still no light. Another light bulb ... still no light.
"Must be a faulty switch!" he said. He'd obviously attended that particular University lesson about identifying whether the switch is faulty.
"I'll need to change the switch!" he said, "only I haven't got one."
Can you imagine? An electrician with a van full of all sorts of equipment and wires and electrical type things; but no switch. He must have missed that lesson I suppose.
I remembered I had a spare switch in the garage in a tool box somewhere. He said it would fit perfectly as a replacement and offered to buy it from me for £2.
"Why?" I asked.
"So I can fit it in your room," he said, "and it'll save me having to go to the store and buy a switch for you!"
"But why not fit my switch, which you said is OK, for free? Just charge me for your time to do the job!" I said.
"Can't do that," he replied, "it says here on the invoice I have to give you, 'Parts', that's the price of the parts I use, that's the switch. And 'Labour', that's the cost of my time to do the job. Then I add both for 'Total'. So I can't give you an invoice with 'Labour' only. How can I do any job without parts, like the switch, or wires and so on?"
I was too tired to argue and I needed the lights on to write this Blog post for you. So I sold him my switch for £2 as agreed.
Half an hour later he'd finished the job.
He gave me an invoice which said 'Parts' £10 and 'Labour' £25; TOTAL £35.
"Why did you charge me £10 for the switch which you bought from me for £2?" I asked.
"Because that's the price I would have paid at the store!" he replied, looking at me as if I'm an idiot.
"But you did not go to the store," I protested, "I saved you the drive, and the cost of gas getting there, and the travelling time which would not have been included in the invoice. So if anything I saved you a lot of money by selling you the switch which I was prepared to give you for free to start with, because it was mine anyway!"
He said, "Sorry mate. The normal invoice for this kind of work is £10 for the switch, and £25 for my time to do the work. You should not have sold me the switch for £2. You should have insisted on £10!"
As I said, I was too tired to argue. I gave him the £35.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Do not take logic for granted.
More important - do not take God for granted.
