Reparing a TV Antenna in Cuba

Osmel Almaguer

HAVANA TIMES — Imagine you don’t have a broad range of recreational options for the evenings that came after long days of work, that your one alternative is TV programing and that this is the one means of warding off boredom in the time spanning dinner and bedtime. Now, imagine your television set doesn’t have very good reception.

Naturally, you’ll try to find out the reason for this. You’ll probably agree with the conclusion that your area is a kind of “dead zone” in terms of TV reception and try and raise your antenna, thinking a 3 to 4-meter long piece of piping, some wires to keep it upright and a longer piece of TV cable (yours isn’t long enough) will do the trick.

Imagine you buy the TV cable from a self-employed vender. You pay for fifteen meters of cable but, as is to be expected, you only get 13 and a half. You’ve been had, but you don’t let it get to you (you don’t lose it, at least), for it’s something that is almost predictable. Then, however, you discover the cable isn’t thick enough and that you can’t do anything with it.

You’ve been had twice, so your anger goes up a notch (as your frustration also begins to rise). You, however, failed to check the product you bought, trusting in the good intentions of the vender, and such mistakes are paid dearly.

Now, replace the self-employed fellow in the story with a saleswoman at a State, Cuban-peso store and go through the following steps:

1. Do not blame the saleswoman for scamming you out of a meter and a half of cable, nor the truck drivers or warehouse people, who most likely had nothing to do with it. Don’t even blame the person who purchased the product abroad, who accepted a bribe in exchange for buying something worthless. Don’t blame yourself.
2. Feel proud of your frustration, which is a normal reaction to such situations. Don’t be ashamed, don’t feel naive.
3. Don’t dwell on the fact you wasted your money and, what’s worse, didn’t manage to solve the problem. Breathe deeply. Try to feel love towards others. Don’t hold a grudge.
4. Finally, sit in front of the TV, even if the reception isn’t that great and, if you’ve got the energy, turn off the set and pick up a book. Then, you’ll see that the feeling of having been conned stings a little less.