My sister is frequently too self-righteous and pig-headed for her own good.
I called to offer her a free computer last night, since I knew of a cache of them being given away. Her immediate response was to rail against Macintoshes. There’s no way she would ever want one. She doesn’t know anything about them. Her husband is an ‘expert’ in Windows, because he is always repairing his mother’s Windows machine. And apparently I am a bad, vain person for offering her one, because not everyone “can be a computer genius”.
Several thoughts:
- Last Christmas, I watched her husband, the ‘expert’, take several hours, with the help of his cousins and uncles, figuring out how to download pictures from a digital camera.
- So according to my sister, a Windows machine like her mother-in-law’s is better, because it’s more common. Despite the fact that her husband, as she said, is over there constantly fixing it?
- Apparently I’ve learned much in recent years, because the last time I gave her a Macintosh, she got rid of it because she refused to believe me when I told her she could get online with it. Now, though, I’m a computer genius.
- Best of all… I never offered her a Macintosh. I offered her a computer. There are a couple Windows machines in the cache being given away.
But by the end, when she finishes up a five minute rant by insulting me for offering her a free computer, well… she can kiss my ass. I briefly considered sending her the Windows machine with a little note saying “I didn’t offer you a Mac”. But that idea was quickly discarded when it occurred to me that my sister of all people wouldn’t have the grace or humility to feel bad about the way she treated me. She’d just complain that it was too old or didn’t come with whatever. She can go spend a $1,000 of her own money, which I know she damn well doesn’t have.
AJ
First of all, I think it is in the water. Second, good for you for being a good sport and offering in the first place. Third, always consider who you are offering things to and whether or not they will appreciate it.
As I see your ranting, I recall in a way that felt impossible two years ago that sometimes people just don’t deserve to get offers due to their lack of appreciation. Maybe she takes you for granted? Maybe she has to show some level of insecurity and her thrashing out at you is really anger at herself? I am not one to diagnose this situation. You know more about it than I.
Story: I have a computer that is very old and small. I had four options when I decided to discard it. Two of them were family. Then, there is always the donation route. Guess who is getting the computer? A friend from work because he will use it and appreciate it more than my family ever would. Maybe I am being presumptuous yet as much as I want that to change, I am only half responsible for the outcome.
Peace lies within…..
scott Feldstein
What I have is a relative who has a lot of money and yet who keeps nagging me for a free discarded computer.