17-03-2004, 02:11 AM
|
|
|
THANKS - AND THANKS FOR NOTHING
In article ,
(Helen J. Foss) wrote:
For several years now I have posted 'FREE SEEDS - POSTAGE PAID' on
rec/gardens and received multi requests for tomato seeds.
I filled the requests for what folks asked for. Took the time to
label the individual little 'baggies', insert the seeds, secured them
between cardboard sheets and mailed them off at my own expense. I didn't,
and don't have a problem with this.
I put together over 300 packets last fall alone and enjoyed doing
it. The ONLY thing I asked in return was that the recipients of my labors,
notify me when they received the seeds....I don't think that was too much
to ask for.
A few offered me some different seeds, which I though was a nice
gesture on their part, and I accepted the offer. To this day I have not
received any seeds, but that doesn't really bother me as much as the fact
that a few of the ones I sent seeds to, didn't have the common courtesy to
sit at the keyboard for one minute, and tell me they received the
seeds....how long does it take to say 'I got them'?
I have sent seeds to many States, Alaska (I know it's a State),
Australia, United Kingdom and Wales and received reports that the seeds
have done well in their area.
Now suddenly I'm receiving further requests for seeds, and have
already maialed out over 150 packets, for which I have received replies of
their arrival.
To the folks that sent me messages telling me of their arrival, I
say a BIG THANK you, and hope I'll be able to send you some new and
different seeds next fall.
To the folks that were too busy to spend a minute on the
keyboard, I say THANKS FOR NOTHING, and there will be no further shipments
from this source.
To those who want to flame me, just want to say that I had to vent
my disappointment in certain people that have no time to show a little
common courtesy to a fellow gardener.
Hope you all have a great growing season and abundant crops.
You sound a little needy, which might be off-putting to some seed
recipients. Certainly there is a type of gardener too cheapy-ass to buy
even a $2 seedling or a packet of seeds, the sorts of bungholes who just
want something for nothing. Because of my website, I have beggars emailing
me for cuttings & seeds several times a week, as there seem to be no end
of ******s cruising the web looking for free plants from perfect strangers
because they apparently have no actual friends with whom to trade plants.
I ignore most of them or send them links to commercial sources, but when I
can I do occasionally share things with friends & correspondents, though
mainly with visitors rather than with emailers.
Despite my own cynical views of the matter, people have sent me things
from time to time which they thought I would enjoy, which I often did
enjoy, which I never failed to thank them for. I've also occasionally sent
seedlings or bulbs to people, wanting or expecting nothing in trade, & no
one has ever failed to thank me; most have even sent follow-up reports on
how stuff is doing in their yards.
If a curmudgeonly old carlin like myself can share stuff with 100% happy
outcomes, but you share hundreds of times only to become embittered by
insufficient degrees of gratitude -- well, it does sound like you might
need to LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF for the causes of your disappointment.
Whatever good karma you would otherwise be storing up goes down the drain
if you whine about insufficient sphincter-sucking from people to whom
you've given seeds.
If you feel so owed by your good deed, ask people you don't know to send
you a stamped self-addressed envelop to receive the seeds. That way, if
they fail to meet your standards for their gratitude, at least you haven't
wasted a stamp on them.
-paghat the ratgirl
--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/
|