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My Friend

 My friend tends to "fight back" -- which is a difference between her and me. I have waded into the toxic seas of Facebook -- and the moment someone crazily yells at me, I just delete the post. My friend (by contrast) will calmly type a reply.


Or here's another example. It's the Saga of the Lice Comb. My friend's daughter had lice; the lice case was treated; a month went by. A sitter was hired. The sitter uncovered the still-extant lice comb, then made allegations by text message. My friend wrote, "No one in the house has lice." The sitter said, "Still, I'm uncomfortable. You need to come back from New York right now."

Next -- however -- my friend retaliated by withholding payment for the evening. "You were hired to do a job, and (without citing a reasonable excuse) you did not do your job. So I am not paying you."

I can't help but recall the time that a bus aide had an iPhone out (inappropriately) at work, and my (special-needs-with-documentation) son damaged the phone. And I immediately paid for the damage.

I feel I'm a bit like Ned Flanders, wandering in a cloud of obliviousness, shouting, "Hi-diddly-ho!"

Maybe this can change. Time will tell.
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