Today I learned that I do not want to help some people

Well...I didn't learn it today, but it fits in with my conceit about how I title my blog entries.

I told the story a few weeks ago about an acquaintance of mine. Several months ago the Library had had a Meeting Day, where everyone in Cheyenne who had a club could sign up new members. This woman stopped by...and I didn't really care for her at the time, but she wasn't so egregious that I wouldn't want her in the club - the more members the better.

So she comes to the club one day, and everything was a bit hectic, so I asked one of our other members to take her in hand and show her how to play the game. He plays well, shes an absolute beginner, but she spent the two hours telling him what to do!

So I was glad when she didn't come back.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw her talking to one of my other scabble club members, another beginning player, a guy. And this guy lives on my way into town and the library where we play, so I pick him up. And he mentioned this. So I'm walking outside and see the woman sitting on a bench, and she says, "Do you give people rides?" and I say yes, if they come to my Scrabble club...or if its an emergency.

Long story short. I gave her my email and phone - though I specificed she was not to call me on the phone - I really, really dislike talking on the phone and use it only for emergencies.

Next day, she's clalling me on the phone, asking for a ride. It's urgent.

Well, I gave up my dinner and drove her around to various churches, where she was asking for money to pay her rent that was due that day. (I had no discretionary funds to loan her and wouldn't have anyway...she has no job and I need to be paid back when I loan folks money.)

Also took her out to a place where she could pick up an application - this despite the fact that she ":didn't know if she wanted to work for them. She just wanted to look at it." I'm thinking "You need a job, you're about to be kicked out of your apartment for non-payment of rent, you can't be choosy."

Anyway, I told her about Textbroker, and a couple of days later tried to get her set up with that. First she had to get a Paypal account - Textbroker pays via Paypal, as well as send in her ID to Textbroker so they'd know she lived in the US.

And I don't think she's done that yet.

So, she comes back to Scrabble a week and a half ago...I'd been upstairs showing her something on the computer. I was in a bad mood because the guy I was playing was beating me badly and I was not getting any tiles...so she sits next to me and tries to tell me what to play. Then she sits next to the guy beating me and tries to hell him what to play.

We neither of us paid much attention to her - we were playing the game. We weren't actively rude, just kind of not paying attention to her.

So, she leaves.

That night I email her and say, "Sorry I was so brusque, I don't like losing when I have bad tiles. Let me know if you need more help."

And that was it. Seven days went by and I didn't hear from her. I was surprised but pleased.

This last Saturday, I drove into town to start my week-lomg housesitting of my sister's house. I was at the library, saw her looking at a shelf, walked past her, she said hi, I said, how's it going, did you get on to Textbroker. (Because the last time we'd talked, she'd needed to send in her ID by fax and didn't seem in much of a hurry to do it.)

She said she was having problems getting her Paypal account going.

I said, "Well, I have an errand to run right now but I can be back at 3 o'clock and we can get you set up."

She said, "Well, text me first, to make sure something doesn't come up." That's a paraphrase, but it's neaqr enough. And it's at that point that I gave up on her completely. She's unemployed. It's a Saturday. Yet she's not sure if she can meet me at 3 pm so I can get her paypal set up so she can start earning money???

So...I had no intention of texting her or talking to her ever again. Turned out to be a moot point because instead, she texted me, telling me she'd gotten her paypal account working. I texted back, "OK" - and that was it. No further interest.

So today, Tuesday, 4 days after that, she texts and says, "I think I really messed up."

Well, I don't care enough to text her back and say, "How so."  If she'd wanted me to respond, she should have texted me with her actual problem, or emailed me.

So, I'm not bothering with her at all. I su ppose there's a chance she'll stop by the meeting room where we play Scrabble, on Thursday, but I'll just tell her I'm too busy playing, sorry.

I was willing to help her, twice, but that's it.