Friends With A Price Tag
Her message read: It is a good thing that friendship does not come with a price tag, otherwise I would not have been able to afford your friendship. Had it arrived from a friend, I would have been flattered to no end but as it is, it came from a complete stranger. I cannot even say for sure if ‘she’ was a Sheila, neither by gender, nor by nationality.
It somehow reminded me of some of the people in the real world who claim to be my friends. Of course, I won’t make the mistake to confuse them with my handful of real friends. If only they knew how I loath them when they stand there talking to me, not because they want to talk to me but because they want something from me. Or is it because they can gain something by just being there?
Sometimes I can get sick with the cheap and superficial clichés I have to endure. Empty compliments thrown at me, in an effort to secure another invitation for next time, believing that I’m too stupid or too vain to see through their masquerades. Especially those who just arrive uninvited on party nights, with a car full of people and nothing in their hands because they ‘did not know there was a party on’; only to stay until they had enough to eat and drink. Why did they stop in the first place? And why did they simply drive away the previous weekend when there was nothing going on? It looks as if they have a fixed route to follow each weekend until they can find a party somewhere.
When I arrive uninvited and unannounced at somebody’s house and there is a party on, I don’t bother to stop. I go somewhere else and call the person if I need to speak to him urgently. Maybe some ‘friendships’ do have a price tag attached.
It was the same when I still had the boat. It was licensed to carry a crew of five but there was always a list of at least ten people wanting to go to sea. But whenever it needed some working on, it was always the same four people. Guess who went fishing and who stayed home.
Scammers can be recognized miles off but parasites, posing as friends, are a bit harder to cope with. Their skins are thicker too. You can tell them to leave now but they’ll be back again. next time. I think it is time to use a very large pair of garden shears to cut off the loose ends round the fringes of my circle of friends. I can do better without them.
A very happy day to all my friend out there... and everybody else.
Comments (28)
Eish, someone pushed the wrong button ...
That explains why you haven't approved my 'friend' request
I didn't even have an ulterior motive with you. Ah well, it was worth a try...
Good blog indeed.
All my life I was surrounded with people who seemed to be my friends and who I thought were my friends.I never borrowed money from them -they did,I never asked for help-they did and I was happy to help.When my husband got seek with cancer and we had to fight it,all so called friends slowly drifted away and I was left on my own.Through all this difficult 5yrs I learned the most valuable lessons the only person you can rely on is yourself,you should love and respect yourself and be your own best friend ...but Bearing this in mind I still respect the others,trying to do my best if asked for
help ,support,advice,even money( if have some:-)not expecting anything in return.
I got some new friends,People who were not my friends and helped me when I even did not ask...and I do not carry my past disappointments with me ,let it go.
I have one best friend - myself and a price on the tag attached to this friendship is very very high.
Have a good day and all the best.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE A BLOODY HEADACHE!!!
Maybe you are just too polite to tell me that my blog is too long.
I have become thick-skinned. Don't spare me.
Kind of you to drop in. Hope you're having a ball out that way.
It is not just parties. It happens in all facets of life. A little favor here and another there but when it comes to payback time, you don't see them until they need you again. One can stop having parties but that is cutting off your nose to spite your face. I won't deprive myself for their sake. Getting rid of those fair-weather friends is (imo) the better option.
Ah, 'she' had more to say but I did not bother with that. They don't trouble me that often but sometimes I get four or five at a time.
Omg!
4 or 5 at a time.Yuck!..... How can you handle that?...
You must have special powers....
It depends on my mood at the time. Sometimes I read them and other times I delete them without reading. Some days, when I feel abusive, I answer them.
This time I need helping hand.
What shall I bring along? Steak or chicken pies, or some curry and rice with pickles? Or just finger food?
Me and my mum always have guests only bringing themselves with them as a gift. But, we don't expect anything.
I guess, if we would have saved the money for all the food we have been serving during many decades we could buy a nice property somewhere. But, we get rewarded in other ways. As for instance when I attend a party of some friend it is real great for me then.
You can ALWAYS bribe me with a good curry an rice but don't get me wrong, you don't need an admission ticket to visit me, party or no party. My heckle is with those who arrive with a bunch of friends, time after time, only to eat and drink what they can and then to scoot off to look for another party. And then you won't even get a cup of tea when you go to their place.
Parasites and leeches are how I describe them.
If a person has no principle, then to me they have nothing.
Welcome to my blog. The problem with these people is that they have skins thicker than rhinos. When you tell them off politely, they perform as if you are the wrong party, then they leave with a promise never to set foot in your house again but a few weeks later they will be there again as if nothing had happened.
I have "friends" like that...thick-skinned but every time they knock and give me that assassin smile, I weaken and let them in again
What about placing a stake "House Sold" letting your friends and close ones know " This is only for the grabbers!"
A prob will only be if the smell of your braai spreads around the whole area.
I don't mind once in a while but when they make a habit if it, I see red
One can only accommodate for so many guests. When five or six people suddenly arrive unexpectedly, it puts stress on everything. And usually we chip together (as they are able to) for a party. Everybody put something in. These party crashers (calling themselves friends) just arrive and expect to be waited on. without ever. At some stage the regular contributers will get fed up. Well, I am.
I have a very close friend...she's worse.
She will pitch in for the party, contribute just enough for herself...then she will surprise me, she invited her friends in the church!!! Dozens of them will come...and to top it all, they will start to play Christian songs and talk about parables!!!
I'm not going to hide from them in my own place. No, I'll deal with them next time it happens. I'll no how to do it.
Crucify her.
How are you? It's been so long since I last saw you.
That puts the whole thing in a different perspective. When they invite back, it become give and take. But it is still not right to club in for one person and then to bring more people.
My sister and I have a ruling of not having to bring anything when we party (or eat) together but I will not dream of bringing a guest to her house without informing her beforehand. It is only fair. She needs to know for how many people to cater.