“If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day and will come back tomorrow expecting another one. Be an asshole, tell him to go learn how to fish.” Yours truly
From umbrellas to aspirin. From pens to first aid items, there is always that individual that somehow forgets to bring his own. We are not talking about a once in a lifetime occurrence or “Oh gosh, I never thought about this before” that brings knowledge and preparation for the future, but the “I can always ask/borrow Mr. X for it if I need some” attitude.
I have officially become an asshole at work. Why? Because I stopped being “helpful” and providing for the fourth or fifth time a necessary item that somebody “forgot” for the umpteenth time. You cut your finger? See if you can top the bleeding with your fancy new smartphone, if not check the main office and use a Post-It to quench the spillage. If your car won’t start because the battery which has been giving you warnings for the last three days has finally call it quits, don’t come and ask me if I have jumper cables and to give you a jump, I’ll obviously lie to your face and say I don’t have any because my truck uses a Mr. Fusion to provide the necessary electricity. Can you borrow my flashlight to check that building? Wait, you work nights and have done so for the last 6 months, know that the flashlights at the office are always out and you still have failed to provide yourself with something so frigging basic? Sure, cough up $20 for batteries; my Surefire only uses classy & expensive lithium batteries. Don’t have the $20? Make sure you don’t bump into anything or anybody that might hurt you.
And please, if you gone stupid and decided to pick a fight with a suspected drunk and/or Meth freak after I told you not to do it, don’t expect me to risk my own limbs to get you out of your idiocy. You made that hospital bed all on your own, you get to lay in it. But I do promise I’ll be a good witness when LEOs arrive.
We cannot be 100% ready for what life may throw at you, we all agree on that. But that is not an excuse to be 0% ready and depend on good luck and the kindness of strangers and coworkers. And if that makes me a nasty and cruel human being, just don’t hang around me, my tight budget will appreciate it.
That is absolutely cold and heartless. I feel the exact same way. The only way to help some people is to tell them no. I refuse to be an enabler. I will love them so toughly they hate me for it. Either way, problem solved.
Reminds me of this great scene from The Deerhunter. “This is this.”
Warning: scene contains NSFW language, and guns(!!!).
I would hardly call you attitude or actions “cruel”. I think many of us know others like you have described, and it can become frustrating.
That is why I placed cruel between quotation marks. And also I am at an age I really don’t care what people think or say about me. Saves me on blood pressure meds too!
This is the perfect summary of why people become CCW permit holders. They realize they may need to defend themselves, and cannot rely on police or sudden emergence of a conscience in the mind of the assaulting criminal, to save them.
Still, I carry a flashlight, pocket knife, cell phone and a CPR shield (and got training) so that I might be able to help my fellow man, but only if I can safely do so. If it becomes a pattern though, then they will get some reminders on personal responsibility.
It’s like some people are just born to be helpless, eh? I’ve had people tell me something to the effect of “Well, if the sht ever hits the fan, I’ll know to come to your house!”
I always tell them “Go ahead! If the dog gets hungry I’ll have someone to feed to her!”
An old Papua New Guinea trick, where ‘askims*’ are a way of life. Start asking them for stuff before they ask you. It’s best if you can do it just before/ right as they ask you for something. Eventually, they will leave you alone.
*askim = just asking
I have to agree. I’ve always said that being an adult means taking responsibility for yourself.
Amen (to all of the above, too). I don’t mind giving a jump (I have cables in my truck, and my battery died out of the blue last week, no warning, so I know there’s times when crap just happens), giving out an Excedrin or loaning my flashlight or pen, but if someone KEEPS asking, then eventually its “no”. I’m not your supply closet or pack mule. I carry on me what I carry from experience. This is me giving you experience. Learn from it and start packin yourself, or go without.
Life as a security guard means never having to say you are sorry.
Except for old George Zimmerman
Given the price of tackle, bait and fishing licenses thes days, that lazy son of a bitch had better have a job before he tries fishing!
Well written, sir.