My Mantra

As of late I have begun to dislike people. Sadly this has become my mantra. I used to try not to be like this but it seems to be getting more and more difficult to feel another way. So I have decided to just succumb....I don’t like people – period end of story.

Ever spend time in an airport? Then you know why.
But I digress.....

I am not prejudice with my dislike toward people these days – just seem to dislike them all.
The other day I came home early. I had just walked into the house from getting the mail and heard the door bell ring while my hand was still on the door. There was a very nice looking young man standing at the door with another good looking young stud behind him. They were both dressed nicely and were wearing chains around their necks holding pictures that appeared to be an official looking badge type thing that they shoved in my face and began to speak so quickly you would have thought this was speed dating. He told me they worked for Unity XYZ (I don't want trouble so I will not reveal their company name here) and Unity XYZ’s idea is to motivate young people without means to learn on the job business skills by going door to door selling magazine subscriptions and receiving these points and these points would get them yada yada yada........

To me this sounded like something I saw on Dateline, 20/20, or 60 minutes - one of those shows. Because I have been scammed before I summoned the courage to say, No to them this time and I would not buy anything from them unless I checked them out online first.
I told them it sounded like something I had seen on TV. I would like to go online to verify and if this was indeed a positive role model company trying to help disadvantaged young people then I would be more than happy to order magazine subscriptions if they would give me a minute or come back.

Well you should have seen their faces. They both looked at one another and back at me as though they didn’t understand my language. I told them to give me time to check this company out and since they were in the neighborhood they might want to just stop back before they call it a day and I would buy something if it all checks out as they stated.
Then they asked for some cold bottled water. Hmm....appeared to be stalling for some reason but why? Or were they really thirsty and if so I couldn’t just say no it was hot as hell out there - I don't like people but I am not mean. I said I didn’t have any bottled water which in fact was true but I had just made some Kool-Aid so I gave them Kool-aid in disposable plastic cups and on they went.
I know I know - you're thinking sucker!!...and why does a grown woman with no children have Kool-Aid? Well, truth be told I always have rasberry Kool-aid in warm weather....you know for my gin!....a little trick from my younger very poor days when I was too broke to even go to the store to buy tonic and before I learned to LOVE straight gin chilled with 3 olives...hey old habits die hard.

I checked the website - it wasn’t even in English. I then went to BBB and there were complaints. AND SURPRISE -they never came back.
I told myself for days that they never returned because they were a BIG FAT SCAM.
BUT I have to admit my bleeding liberal heart thought perhaps these poor kids really could have used my lousy $20 subscription and for heaven’s sake I spend more than that on a bottle of wine. How awful can I be for heaven’s sake – I need to stop seeing the negative in people! Bad, Bad, Margaret.
So there I am doubting myself even after I saw the website thinking I MAY have been wrong and I should have helped them.

Well today I received vindication that I was right - I guess I dislike people with good reason. This was a big fat scam. My neighborhood watch and sheriff have informed us of many who did donate and after further follow-up by the sheriff’s department this is indeed a scam. A great many of the people here paid them money and lots of it. I bet they never see a magazine and if they used a check they have their account number. Yikes.

While I was feeling terribly guilty, thankfully I was right.
For some reason being right on this isn’t as rewarding as one would think.....I still dislike people but sometimes it pains me.