QotD: Sharing is Caring

Mar 27, 2008 at 8:26 AM
5 comments

What do you most hate sharing with other people?

I have to admit - and though I'm ashamed I'm not going to dwell on it - I'm not a sharer. I'm particular about the condition of my stuff and 9 times out of 10 people do not return it in the same condition. In my own defense though, I'm not always as careful with peoples items and ergo choose to not borrow unless I know the person doesn't care or I know I can replace if necessary.

If I had to pick one thing I don't like to loan/borrow - it would be books. I don't fold corners, dog-ear the covers, break the spines (quite a feat if I must say so myself, considering I don't dog-ear the cover either!) or fuzz the paperback covers. I'm very careful with my books - and I don't expect anyone to be as careful because let's be honest - it isn't their book. I'll lend books to some, but they know how I am and they usually start off the borrowing conversation with, "If anything happens, I'll just buy you a new one." I don't think that's ever happened, but I like the reassurance to be there :) Point in fact, I recently borrowed The Other Boleyn Girl from Jane and I asked her, "Do you care what condition the book comes back in?" - and though I had no intention of letting Ripley chew on it, I wanted to know what her reaction would be if Ripley did.

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Money. If I give it away, that's fine but if you borrow it...I'll break your f'ing legs if you don't give it back at the time promised. Seriously. I make $22k/ year. I don't have money to throw away.

There's nothing worse than someone who borrows cash and doesn't have the decency to return it correctly. I mean, that's stealing. I know quite a few who are "fast and loose" with the money they borrow from others. "Fool me once..."

maura_ea replied to mad-tante’s comment:
Mar 27, 2008
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Oooh, too true - too true. I don't have the same excuse as you though, so far as your yearly income. I make a bit more than that - always more than the person I'm lending to - and so I feel bad asking for money back when they need it more than I do. But then I think, "Did you say you'd pay me back?" and sulk inside for awhile.

I never let people borrow money. I'll feed you, I'll give you a place to stay if you're really desperate (I have a spare room and it's been used by trustworthy friends on hard times), but I don't give away money, mainly because I never see it again. I had a friend renting a room from me once and he still owes me $1100 of back rent/food/utility costs and that was almost 5 years ago. It was all on that "oh don't worry, I'll pay you back" premises...My life savings went really quick supporting him as well as me. Fool me once indeed....