Yesterday at work, one of the senior managers, a director actually asked if she could use my computer because hers was not working and she had to do something "time sensitive".
What, am I going to say No to a director - of course I let her, and I walked away to give her privacy. But then I had this weird dream last night that she was Internet gambling, and I'm the one who's going to get whacked with it.
It's true, I don't like to share.
I am an only child, I never had to learn how to share.
Actually I don't like to share is probably not very accurate. It's more like I don't like people messing with my stuff.
I don't always like lending things out, it stresses me. For example I lent my Friend Deanna my Season 10 of FRIENDS like 3 months ago, and I haven't seen her since. Every time I see the gap in my media library, I get the sweats a little.
I hate lending out one of my books or DVD only to get it back tattered, the spine broken, juice spilled on the pages, etc.
I had a friend once, she was suppose to be my best friend. I lent her a book, finally worked up the guts to ask for it back like 2 years later, and she actually laughed at me when I asked "Like I could find it now!" was her response.
I hate when my cousins are over in the summer - yep, like 6 or 7 extra people living in my house for like 3 months. They just come into my room and put a DVD into the player, don't put the old one back in the proper case, just leave stuff out on my bed. They used to never rewind videos either when they were finished with them. My perfume has all bee tried, and I know of course because the caps are all over the place, never put back on the bottles.
Whenever I would complain to my Mom, she told me I was bad at sharing because I grew up to be "selfish" as an only child.
But seriously - is it so hard to give me back my stuff in a timely manner in the condition you received it?!
And I wouldn't have said no to my cousins using my TV/DVD player, Perfume etc, I just wanted to be consulted first. You know, recognized as the owner of said stuff.
So please consider this my warning to you - please don't mess with my stuff. If you do I might just ......... politely and very apologetically ask you not to?
Maybe that's my problem!
9 comments:
There's sharing, and there's the expectation of respect for your belongings (and just plain courtesy). Subtle, but important difference.
You have a right to be concerned about the condition of your things when they're lent out. After all, these people aren't contributing financially, so if something breaks or degrades in quality, you can't get that back without more dough.
I recommend you get some burly men and have them break some kneecaps. Nothing gets the message across like a good kneecapping.
Emma makes a note. Don't borrow a book from Miriam.
Miriam? I think we should be more worried about Austin!!
I have this evil urge now to get into Mir's car and just move all the switches and dials... :)
I agree with Austin! Except for the kneecapping stuff. It sounds like you don't mind sharing, as long as you get your stuff returned to you in a timely manner, and in as good a shape as when it was lent out. Miriam, that is definitely not too much to ask! I had a very similar experience to yours where I lent a book out to a classmate while I was studying at York - the book was Memoirs of a Geisha - and she promised to return it to me when she was done. We exchanged phone numbers and everything. I never heard from her but bumped into her one year later. I was like, "So when are you going to return my book?" and she was all, "I never borrowed a book from you." MAN! I really wanted to break her kneecaps or something. Hey, maybe Austin's idea isn't so bad after all...
I am still considering making the switch into the career of Professional Hitman...perhaps kneecapping is a good place to start.
Most of the stuff I lend out to people isn't anything that I mind getting back in relatively shoddier condition. I don't have very many books, and those I do are pretty well-loved any way. I rarely lend out comic books, mostly because so few people I know would be into them. Those I do lend out don't appreciate in value, so I don't mind having them returned worse off, and DVDs don't degrade.
I have the same pet peeve as you about taking months/years to return items, 'though, mostly because I start to worry that I'm never going to get it back. The fact of ownership means I value my things and would like to enjoy them repeatedly.
So maybe we could rent each other out as hitmen?
For a small hourly fee, I could "persuade" others to return your stuff, and vice versa?
Yeah, but then we'd all have to learn how to talk like Marlon Brando, and I don't think that's especially sexy in a woman ;).
I suppose you go with contracts for borrowing. Specify the return date and penalties for late return and damage.
Generally I'm with Leah, only lend out what you're willing to lose or to friends you know will do their best to respect your property. *Shrug* I've been without "An Ideal Husband" and "Mansfield Park" since the fall. My life hasn't ended yet. :D Plus it's mostly my fault for not picking them up on New Years. :P
I can't find it for the life of me now, but I saw a "chequebook" of items you loan to other people, so you have a record of when it was lent out and what items aren't in your collection. Of course, Googling "lender" and "checkbook" leads to a bunch of bank websites...
Post a Comment