All ye who read this blog, heed my warning. The Curse of Murphy has apparently mutated into a virus that can be transmitted from person to person (even over the internet!). That *must* be the reason behind the large number of people who seem to have “family emergencies” when they are supposed to be meeting me. It couldn’t be that they aren’t telling the truth, could it?
I have a dresser and nightstand that I am trying to sell on Craigslist. Last week someone emailed and asked if she could come take a look at them at 7:30 pm on Saturday. I said ok, gave her my phone number and address, and asked that she call if she needed directions or if she wasn’t going to be able to make it. I never got a phone call, so I assumed everything was on. I left my dad, stepmother, and sister at Applebee’s where we were having dinner Saturday night so that I could be home a little after 7 pm, just in case she was early. She never showed. Or called.
Did I mention that I gave her my phone number? Twice.
I let Sunday go by, giving her a chance to call or email and let me know why she hadn’t shown. Nothing. By Monday morning I was just a little irritated, and I sent her an email. It wasn’t too nasty, just a snarky little, “Thanks for letting me know you weren’t coming. I left a family dinner early so I could be home before 7:30 on Saturday. I assume this means you are no longer interested in seeing the dresser.”
Her reply came within minutes.
Maybe you should ask first why I was not there. I had a family
emergency and someone had to go the emergency room. Sorry for
not calling but it slipped my mind. I was just getting ready
to e-mail you and apologize. And as for interest, with the
e-mail I just received from you, no I am not interested.
Hmmm…if it slipped her mind, then why was she just getting ready to e-mail me and apologize? Seems to me that her reaction to my email is tinged with just a tiny bit of overkill. I mean, if she knew that she stood me up and I deserved an apology, she should have expected that I might be just a little bit annoyed and not get offended over it. Of course, the fact that her story is total crap might have something to do with it.
In fact, I have to give her props…I would have said the same thing. It’s the classic “make the injured party feel like a jerk for being offended that you injured them” routine. Brilliant. Back when I used to have an ad on Yahoo Personals, a guy wrote to me, and for whatever reason, I didn’t write back. He probably spelled something wrong in his email or wrote it in all lower case letters with no punctuation or something (remember – Grammar Nazi!), or I just didn’t like his picture. Anyway, a couple of days later, I get this absolutely scathing email from him going on and on about how rude I am for not responding and how I needed to get my nose out of the air, etc…And it had literally only been like 2 or 3 days since he wrote me initially. So of course, I write back.
I reminded him that people do occasionally travel for work or have other computer issues that keep them from having the ability to check personal email every day, and that perhaps he should make sure that this isn’t the case before he reams someone out for not responding right away next time. I also thanked him for his email, as it let me know more about what kind of a person he is, and that I am not interested in someone who is so quick to jump to conclusions and react in such a negative manner. So THERE!
Her letter and mine seem to have some similarities….mainly that they were both total bull. You know, I might have believed her story, but I’ve heard it before, and hers isn’t nearly as original as some I’ve received. I mean, once someone has told you that he didn’t make your date because his mother was taken to the emergency room where she ended up dying, a family member going to the ER and living just doesn’t mean as much.
Maybe I’m being too cynical. Maybe they were both telling the truth. If so, then I must warn you again to beware the Curse of Murphy, because apparently making an appointment with me is lethal!