On Saturday, a couple of things struck me...well a couple of people illustrated to me the concepts of being a either giver or a taker in life.
Saturday arvo we attended a friend's 60th birthday. I was pleased to go because this man is a good person, always ready to drop everything and help a friend or relative out. (His wife is the same.) At speech time, what touched me was the real respect (and love) that all his friends and family had for him. He's worked long and hard to earn that respect. Today's his birthday, and I wish him many many more.
That same morning I received an email from a friend in response to one I'd sent earlier in the week, wishing him a happy birthday. I apologised for not getting the day exact due to my bad memory but wished him a great day all the same. The response was only "Yeh it's not until Monday." I was angry to the point of tears, as this person and I have had some ups and downs in the past, but I was trying to do the right thing and genuinely wish them well. I guess I'd like to think that he'd have the courtesy to say "Thank you" at least, but no. Today's his birthday, and all I can say is - rot in Hell arsehole.
I guess the point to all my babbling here, is that some people give themselves and their time, sincerely and reliably, while other people are just interested in themselves and what they can get from people. Probably not hard to guess which one I decided to end all further interaction with.
How interesting to have those two interactions in one week. It really highlights the difference.
ReplyDeleteI have found in email missives that it is easy to take something in a way that is not how it was intended. I read the second response "Yeh it's not until Monday" and didn't think anything of it, I would have replied something along the lines of "should I try again then??" Except if I was having a bad day in which case I probably would have felt the way you seem to have. Just throwing the thought out there that maybe it wasn't a put down just a quick comment with no other meaning. My husband has to constantly remind me of the lack of personality communicated by emails and how easy it is to be taken the wrong way. The replier may indeed have done other things that imply this was not a good reply in the past, but benefit of the doubt????
ReplyDeleteOne out of two ain't bad!!! :)
ReplyDeleteTa for the nice comments peeps.
ReplyDeleteLeonie, yeah I know exactly what you mean - email tone, and benefit of the doubt. I guess knowing this person as well as I do, I am certain they were just being a turd.