there’s always a downside
There’s a downside to being the most reliable person you know, and it’s this: not being able to turn off your phone, as your friends may pick any odd time of the day to call you with their latest problem.
Sometimes it’s a 6:30 in the morning. Can you give me a call when you’re up? she sends via text message. So I do. What’s up?
I’m not going to have enough money to go on my trip to Japan, she says. The agency wants the money by the end of this week. The bank doesn’t want to loan me enough to cover the balance. And we found out this morning that my grandfather died.
Okay, I say. Okay. It’s early yet, let me brainstorm on this. I’ll think of something. I’m sorry to hear about your dadushka.
Othertimes it’s after eleven at night. I can’t figure out what to do about her, he says. And I want to go somewhere else, get a clean start. Maybe California, he says.
Dude, I say. We need to talk this out. We’ll grab some beers this weekend and figure things out.
I don’t need to go to school here, she says. But I don’t have any choice if I want to stay in the country. I don’t have the money for the visa I would need to work here, and I don’t have a company willing to sponsor me or provide a job. And I can’t legally work with just a student visa.
There’s a way, I say. I’ll find it. There’s a solution to all this.
I know my friends don’t really expect me to solve their problems. In my head, where reason lives, I know this.
At the same time, I’d hate to let them down.
I’ve never gotten the hang of not trying to solve the problems people bring me. Even when, like you so perfectly stated, I know it’s not what they’re really asking.
I blame my task oriented nature. Stupid perseverance.
you pretty much solve all my problems by buying me tequila.
also, I’m sorry for calling you so late at night when I know you have to be up early, I’m getting better though. right?
While you’re in a problem solving mood, can I just add that a couple million dollars would solve most all my problems quite nicely? So if you could send a check along with a few book recommendations, that would be great.
It’s kind of the same for me, everyone tells me all of their problems. I’m told I’m easy to talk to, but I’m not a slave to my cell the way you seem to be. Sounds like you need an 800 number, dude.
Plus, as long as you’re sending out book recommendations, I’ll take some of those.
Dustin: no rest for the wicked, eh?
Sib: Sometimes it’s tequila, sometimes it’s me showing up at your work around quitting time with vodka shots in my pockets. And when your late night calls involve the thousands of cookies you’ve baked and need help eating, it’s no problem at all.
Dave2: As soon as I get that multi-million dollar income problem figured out I’ll divert some funds to an offshore bank account for you.
Karl: If I get an 800 number, that’ll just be an excuse for people to call me when they need bail money to get out of that Thai prison they wound up in. Also: book recommendations coming soon.
I had no idea I had met the most reliable person I know at TC’07, OR that you’re on-call 24/7!!! This is AWESOME!! And you give book recommendations too?? The benefits of TC are simply never-ending!! Oh man, I can’t wait to start calling you. Oh, does it have to be, y’know, BIG problems all the time, like those examples you’ve given? Or can I call you with things like which shoes to wear? I mean, if you set the parameters, I could realistically start randomly calling you as soon as a day or two!