Just Not Worth It

I thought I might write about this yesterday but I didn't get to it in time. But there a few things I have been thinking about so here goes.

Yesterday I walked out of the apartment (it isn't actually an apartment it's a townhouse but we all call it an apartment) on my way to the bus stop when I realized that I didn’t have my Congressional ID. So I turned around ran up stairs and got my ID. As I was walking back to the bus stop I saw the bus pulling up. The light was green so I knew I would have a tough time catching up before the bus left, but I have caught many a bus by running hard so I went for it, and the bus proceeded to drive away. Now I must say that the corner of S. Glebe Rd and Arlington Ridge is a busy intersection not only for cars but for bus traffic as well. I mean in the morning a bus goes by like every ten minutes. None of this seemed to dawn on me as I looked across Glebe Rd. I noticed 3 seconds of green on the crossing light and someone standing at the next bus stop. In my mind I figured if I run across the street and the person getting on the bus is slow, that I’ll make it on. As this plan is being implemented I dash across the street and…almost get clobbered. My dad on so many occasions said to me “Peter those lines don’t protect you.” All of a sudden there is an SUV practically in my lap. I’m talking breaks screeching and had I been one second ahead I would have been eating asphalt. I motioned to the crossing light, like “Hey lady I have the right of way, which of course had turned read.” I ran across Arlington Ridge and of course the bus had gone. As I was standing there I thought to myself, wow, I could have been killed, or really hurt because I wanted to catch a stupid bus. It was quite a moment. I am all about trusting my instincts “Blinking” as it were. But there are times when it is important to ask yourself is this really worth it. Catching a bus that will come again within the next ten minutes only to get splattered isn’t worth it.

There are my friends in the LDS singles scene here in DC who know all about the list serve. It’s a way to communicate opportunities that others may be interested in. A place to find housing, sell a table, announce an event. When I was looking for an apartment it was very helpful. Unfortunately people also use it for strange/annoying requests. I may flip out if I see another post about people wanting a ride to the airport. Why in the world would you be asking strangers to take you to the airport, and then (I’m getting heated up just typing this) offer to compensate with food. ANNOUNCEMENT we no longer live in a barter society, we like to be compensated with cold hard cash, and guess what? Friends expect no compensation at all. If you need a ride to the airport or help moving you ask your friends, or you pay someone to do it. You do not go and post on an electronic bulletin board begging people to take you. You ride a bus, you take a cab. This is not college, this is the real world. You have a job, pay the cost, if you are down to your last eight dollars (the cost of a ride from the Metro to Dulles) you should not be flying. Take a bus. Obviously there may extraordinary circumstances but even then, why wouldn’t you call your home teachers or something. Maybe some of you are thinking, Peter this isn’t such an egregious faux pax. But it is symptomatic of something some of my peers can’t seem to grasp. Personal responsibility/self reliance. You should not rely on strangers to do stuff for you. You should do things for yourself or cultivate genuine friendships where you don’t mind asking a close friend for a favor. It never ceases to amaze me the stupid things people ask for. So list serves dorks, no free rides, no airline tickets, no postings about institute when it appears that you may be under the influence of an illicit substance, and under no circumstances should you be asking someone to drive their truck to help you move your crap. Spend the twenty bucks and get a U-Haul.

To paraphrase Colorado Football Coach Dan Hawkins “It’s Real Life…It’s Adulthood…If you don’t like it go back to mommy and daddy…back to mommy and daddy…brotha!”