Frustration due to a failed system
25th of February 2022
The past few days has been stressful. I've been going from one office to another, making several calls and meeting several people just so I could get certain problems solved. Altogether It's been a stressful week and I'm getting tired of everything. I've got pain all over me, my knee and back hurts and all I need is rest. It's been stressful so far, and I'm beginning to feel like a dog chasing cars, a person without direction.
I remember having to walk a long distance on Tuesday from one office to another. The initial office I went was locked and I had to speak with the person over the phone. Unfortunately, he wasn't willing to take responsibilities, even after after explaining that the other offices I went stated that he needed to write a letter on my behalf before they could attend to me. It was annoying because it was his responsibility, yet he casually rejected it over the phone because he was too lazy.
He insisted he didn't need to hence I had to go back to the initial office I had been to and explained what was going on.
It was another level of frustration because I got to the office and the person I needed to see also wasn't there. I had to wait for about hour plus till he arrived, after which we had a discussion. This discussion didn't go well as he insisted that I had to get a letter from the previous office I had been to since they needed to put things in record before he could take any action, while also stating there was nothing he could do for me.
I was furious at this point because I had walked a very long distance in the case of each office as each offices were very far from each other and there are no vehicles within the organisation's premises unless you have your own car. I was so pissed off that it was reflected in my mood and the way I responded to people afterwards. I was a frustrated and tired man. I was a man without direction. It was annoying.
After doing everything within my power to get things sorted out, it all turned meaningless. I went back home with anger and frustration written all over me and I simply forced myself to sleep. My mood was affected so much that I began to get depressed. I simply forced myself to sleep and didn't wake up until two hours later. I ignored every call that came in as I simply wanted to be alone.
Fast forward to yesterday Thursday- it was another hall of stress but it was a better progress. I had to talk to certain people I knew were superiors in the organisation, people who were close to me and to my mom. I explained what was happening to one of them and he asked me to come meet him in his office. I went there, explained the entire thing and the people in charge. He immediately picked his phone, spoke with one of them and that was it. After he did, we both went to the office together and the solution came through.
A new development began to come through based on the influence of the person that followed me to the office. I didn't need to wait for a letter from the person in the other office anymore, but instead a sample of the letter which was to be submitted was given to me which I simply edited and included my name. The required signatures were added and that was it, that stage had been solved. All I have to do now is to follow up as from Monday to make sure that my stress so far isn't put to waste.
Altogether, everything took about three to four hours, but it was a necessary stress. After going through everything, I began to think- "what if I didn't know any higher ops, would I have been stranded forever?". In the end I would have been stranded and would have continued to go from one office to another till I got tired and would have simply gone back home once more.
This country is so damaged that you wouldn't get anywhere if you don't know anyone, if you're not connected. I can imagine the amount of stress that people with similar situation would have to go through, after which they would simply give up and consider themselves victims of a failed system. I consider myself lucky!
On Monday I'd begin again but with less stress as compared to before all thanks to something known as connection!
I can relate. Here in our country, if you don't have connections or backer, yoh wilk surely have a hard time getting a job or whatever it is that you needed.