My Own Advice Taken

Have you ever given advice to a friend, well intentioned, well meaning that actually had merit? Have you ever later had to come back and had take your own advice?

Somehow it just seems more real when you have to take the advice for your own personal situation rather than someone else's.

Picture: Garrett & his new cell phone.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend was going through some stuff with her teen daughter. I had told her, it's a good thing for her to go through this while she is still under your roof, so that you can help her to grow and mature. Hopefully because of this, she will learn and not do it when she is out on her own.

Well, recently my Mom got my nephew Garrett a cell phone for his birthday. Rod (who used to sell cell phones) was there to buy and set up the phone. He told the salesman that everything, everything but phone use and camera use is to be blocked. Unusable. Can't text, can't send picture messages, can't download, can't use the internet, all that jazz.

Today, we opened the cell bill. I won't disclose the amount of usages that were non-phone charges on his phone, but it was more than one or two text messages. I wasn't mad (more like sick). I knew I should have checked online to see if the account had really been taken care of. I've been so busy I hadn't. Rod said the lady took care of it. He's a salesman, he knows what she can and can't do.

I promptly called Rod and told him. He was over faxing some paperwork from Workforce to Unemployment. Patrick, the unemployment guy called today to tell Rod that his switch in training had not yet been approved. And that he has to turn in some paperwork for it to get approved. So- Rod was off putting out one fire, while I was starting another. (He got his paperwork sent off :))

Rod then went over to Verizon Wireless to talk to the salesman. They said that everything should have been blocked, it was requested. There's no reason Garrett should have been able to do any of it. Yes, they will take off the extensive charges. Phew!

Now, off to deal with the teenager about the consequences of his actions. I'm going to need to talk to Mom about all of this, but he needs to know that what he did was wrong. We wanted him to have a cell, for a reason. But he needs to earn the right to use it! So I guess we'll come up with some sort of plan to give him some consequences.

He was supposed to take it down with him to his dad's today. He was bummed he didn't get to take it. Rod is supposed to take it back into the wireless store so that the lady can check something out on the phone. So Garrett had to leave it here. I think that it would have gotten taken away from him this weekend, regardless of the salesman's request or not!

I guess what I'm frustrated about really, is that we had told Garrett, that he may not do anything with his phone except make calls and take pictures. We had told him pic/text messages and downloads were not allowed. I guess though, I'm glad that Garrett made this mistake, while he is still at home. Where he can learn from his mistakes, better he learn now then after he turns 18! Time to take my own advice.

When Rod got home, he had a message from Patrick. The paperwork had been received, his application approved! Glad that's done! And, to our surprise, he said the emergency unemployment checks will now be released! Uh, didn't even know that was waiting on approval... (Rod had sent in a change of request for training WEEKS ago, and so we assumed that had been taken care of. Well, I guess it is now!)