Give and Take. And Take

I whine a lot about nobody helping me.  Boo hoo, poor me.  It's not that.  I don't have a tally of what I've done for people and vice versa.  It's not like that.  I believe if I was in that situation, I'd be thankful for the help that I've gotten.  "looking around"

We had something at work where you could make donations at work for someone to get healthy meals sent them while they had to be out on leave.  One woman had a stroke and she got them.  Frick lost her father in-law and dad and she got them.  I always donated and maybe gave like 10 or 20 bucks because I thought if I ever was in that situation, I'd appreciate a kind gesture like that.  Well that didn't happen.  I thought don't be a bitter Betty, be a better person.  I still donated after my situation for others and I got to the point where I couldn't do it.  It wasn't that I didn't care.  I was hurt.

I had thought about my friend Trevor that I texted over a year ago.  I never heard back from him.  Trevor worked with Corinne and I and well, got let go.  He was a good paralegal and went onto have his own business.  He couldn't type and he was struggling with new expectations.  It was really crushing to see it happen.  He bounced back and we kept in touch.  He was generous with everyone and maybe too generous with taking people out to lunch.  He would say All you want to go to is Cousins when I ask.  First up, I wasn't familiar with the restaurants in the area.  I never wanted to take advantage of him.  He was thankful when I got his typing assignments done and I never tore his ear off.  I took him to the airport when he needed a ride to meet the others for a Vegas trip and I took him since I lived in the area.  He did so much for me that of course if I could do something for him, I would happily do it.  I feel bad that he never responded. I know he could say things that were hurtful.  We had fun but it hurt me when he commented on how I live and that I don't go on vacations.  I need a friend, not a lecture about how to be social.  We would have gladly done anything we could if Trevor could have helped us with the monster downstairs.

I drove by Glorioso's this week and was reminded the last time I went there was when I went for treatment at the hospital and maybe stop in after I had appointments.  My mentor had commented on how good the sandwiches were and I brought him one after I had an appointment.  I thought he did so much for me and made my days easier, it was the least I could do.  I was crushed when he told me that people get uncomfortable with the fact that I had an illness.  My mom made peanut butter bars for his wife and family when he retired.  Then I got blamed for the mess he left behind.  That was awful.

We had a neighbor in Bay View that basically advertised in the personals and had sex with men so she could get them to help her with house repairs.  GROSS.  She was gross.  I was glad that my mom quit taking her calls.  My mom had kind of mixed feeling about this woman and I thought she was annoying.  We gave her a ton of stuff before we moved out of Bay View.  The woman was a total user.  There was a morning when we were both out shoveling and she had some help with her driveway.  I did not.  Our driveway was ice over and I couldn't get my car over the ice hump. I had to call in.  I didn't have anything and I watched my neighbor just toddle off to work while I broke the handle off of my shovel. I had to walk to Ace Hardware to get a new one.  I found a garden hoe and spent my day chopping up ice.  I felt so depressed doing this by myself and that ho bag has some guy down the street helping her.

This story gets better.  The neighbor got stuck in her driveway one day when I opened our door to get the mail.  My mom was at the store and my neighbor yelled she was stuck.  What is she going to do?  I said keep shoveling and closed the door.  She expected me to put my coat and come out with a shovel. She did not want to be around me with a shovel.  I did her a favor.  Ho bag. 

I've given a lot.  I haven't taken too much.  Why should I take the joy of shoveling and sweating in winter to get your car out of the driveway? 

I'm all for helping others. I'll take anyone to a doctor's appointment because it's not for me. I can take people to the airport.  When my friend the nail tech told me we should watch out for each other because we're both alone, I thought that would be great.  I told him if there was something he needed, he could call me.  Kind of disappointing that he just wanted me to pay for more nail services.  I may not be able to contribute in a big way, but I would even help shovel a driveway.  As long as I don't have to do it by myself while someone sits inside.