I try not to be negative (truly) but there were a lot of things that happened this year that prompted me to say no and walk away (sometimes literally.) I thought I'd reflect because maybe you did the same.
Black Friday Fallout: My guy and I never go out on Black Friday, and after Thanksgiving this year things got so bad that we've made a point to avoid the malls whenever possible until January. I always despise how badly people behave while they're frantically rushing around and spending too much money for the holidays, but this year they seem extra rude. It also seems like every other person who crosses our path is sneezing or coughing this month, too. As a result we're walking in parks and around little towns instead of walking malls, and we're much happier (and healthier.)
Book Marketing: I've received book promo e-mails with these subject lines: "A Discovery That Could Kill Us All" "Warning: These Books Could Cause Emotional Damage" "One Mistake Could Unleash Catastrophe" Authors are actually paying these people to promote their work? I'd want my money back. Anyway, I have no idea what books they were for because I deleted the e-mails at once without opening them.
Charity Begging: When my brother-in-law passed away earlier this year I made a donation in his name to a medical charity related to diabetes. They have sent me weekly and sometimes daily e-mails begging for more money, which probably cost five times what I donated. Habitat for Humanity did the same thing for a couple years after I made a one-time donation to them, so I shouldn't be surprised, but ugh. No more donations from me.
Kindness Backlash: I try to be a kind person, but my generosity was really stomped on multiple times this year, so I now have new limits to how kind I will be. Here are what I consider basic manners: when someone is kind to you, and making an effort on your behalf, just thank them. If you can't do that without ignoring them, blowing up, making them feel bad or criticizing their efforts, then you will likely stop being the recipient of their kindness and generosity.
Melting Cabbage: This recipe was all over the internet with everyone talking about how fantastic it is. Although it sounded like an overly complicated dish to make, I tried it, and burned two fingers and ripped off a nail in the process. It wasn't fantastic. It wasn't even edible. Liars! I had to trash an entire head of cabbage because of this idiot idea, so I'm saying no to viral recipes from now on.
Miracle Medical Video Cures: I have seen way too much quackery on YouTube lately spouting miracle cures for things like dementia, diabetes and obesity. I used to watch some of them for the sheer amusement factor, but I know people are turning to these quacks instead of seeking proper medical treatment. Guys, swallowing a cup of tumeric and apple cider vinegar laced lemon juice every week is not going to cure diabetes. It will probably inflame your esophagus and give you heartburn, so please, go see a doctor.
Political SPAM: I got bombarded with unsolicited smear tactic e-mails from both sides of our useless government. I try to be patient with these people, but the hate-mongering subject lines were so offensive to me that I didn't read any of them. I now delete them automatically.
Religious Propaganda Spreaders: My guy and I attended our town's Christmas parade, which was fun -- except for religious folks who worked the crowds handing out cards with messages on them like "Doomsday is Coming" and "Have You Been Saved From Hell???" to try to recruit people into their cult. While I try to respect everyone's right to their beliefs (this is a basic right in my country), and I usually accept whatever they're shoving at me, I really hate being targeted by these people at a community event. They were super aggressive this year, too. So for once I didn't try to be polite or take any of the crap they were handing out, and that's going to be my policy from now on.
Yarn SPAM: Apparently the downside of looking for free patterns online and checking project requirements on yarn industry web sites is endless retail yarn SPAM. Lion Brand, I like some of your products, and I appreciate the free patterns, Yarnspirations, but I thrift my yarn. P.S. I can't believe what you charge for yarn you refer to as "on sale."
You're Doing (insert skill or habit) Wrong!: I can't tell you how many times this line has been in my face this year. Suddenly everyone is an authority and we're all idiots. I never read any of the articles or watched the videos using this tactic. If you want my attention, insulting me from the get-go is what you're doing wrong.
Image Credit: Image by Luisella Planeta LOVE PEACE 💛💙 from Pixabay
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