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View Full Version : A bitch against myself...



Radosti
10-10-2006, 08:13 PM
Doing stuff for others always makes me feel good. That's why I donated so much breastmilk, that's why I run a dog rescue, that's why I gave away a ton of formula coupons on craigslist. Not only does it feel good, but it's good karma too.

Still, today my sense of being a "good person" was a rocked. Today at work, we had a big celebration. We had launched 4 new vaccines in 9 months. That's quite an achievement and a culmination of a lot of work on the part of a lot of people. So, they had a celebration with a raffle giveaway thing. Each person got 10 raffle tickets and got to walk around this table and put their tickets in for different prizes. They did this 4 times to accomodate different shifts. I ended up going to the last one because that's what my schedule allowed. My husband didn't make any of them because he was too busy.

I walked around and put my tickets in for stuff that I thought we both would like. However, for a lot of it, I kept my family in mind. One of the prizes was a digital camera (we already have one, but I could give the new one to my parents), another was an Ipod Nano (I have a regular Ipod, so this one would likely have been for DH). I used up 9 tickets like that. I had one left and I walked up to a golfing prize - a round of golf for 2 and some golf balls. This one has nothing to do with me, but I thought DH would be very happy if I won this), so I put in my last ticket.

They gave a few speeches and I ran up to health services to pump, making it back in time for the prize giveaway. I got there and one of my friends was very excited to tell me that I won something. Someone else piped in saying it was the golf thing. I went up to the podium afterwards and confirmed it was the golf package. So, they handed it to me. I got a decorated basket with golf balls in it and a gift bag with a gift certificate and some more golf balls. I looked in the bag, but didn't open the basket.

Hubby opened both at home and says, "I think they gave you two prizes!" Sure enough, once we opened the basket, it contained the same amt of golf balls as the bag and a second gift certificate for the same amt. I honestly contemplated keeping it, thinking "How cool would it be for him to take his entire golf foursome of buddies to play one day!" He works hard, is completing his MBA and we've been extemely busy. He talks to his friends, but they've not been out golfing together more than twice this year.

Then, I returned to my normal self, and realized that the second prize was not mine. In fact, since two of the giveaways were back to back, someone else may have won the same package and wasn't there to pick it up. And they may have given me both and the other person will be waiting to get their prize. So, I am taking the giftbag one back tomorrow (since the basket is no longer pretty).

Still, I really really wanted to keep the second prize. How bad of a person am I??? That's all. I just didn't like myself there for a while. But I still wanted to keep it for DH. I guess it would have been much easier to give it back if this was for myself. Still...

boolady
10-10-2006, 10:08 PM
I don't think that you're a bad person at all. You wanted to win the present for your DH, which in and of itself is selfless. Then, you wanted to keep it because you thought how great it would be for him to get to spend a day golfing with his friends. I think you're being WAY too hard on yourself, especially since all you did was think about keeping it, not actually keep it. I don't think that anytime something accidentally happens and goes your way, if you wish you could keep it that way, you're a bad person.

Look at it this way-- if I was at the grocery store, and the cashier gave me $10 extra change, I'd give it back, but let's be honest, who wouldn't THINK how much you could use the extra $10? I certainly would. Thinking I could use it and keeping it are two totally different things. Don't beat yourself up-- I don't think you've done anything wrong; in fact, I think that you were being generous in wishing that you could keep it for your DH.

jeminaal
10-10-2006, 10:11 PM
It's okay to feel like you did. You're human, and those feelings don't make you a bad person in any way, shape or form. :)

Congratulations on winning, BTW! Your DH is very lucky...I think he should take you out to dinner as a consolation prize, LOL!


Jeanette
(formerly known as jeanmick, member since Feb 2003)

DD Born Christmas Eve
DS Born Valentine's Day

Radosti
10-10-2006, 10:23 PM
Thanks! I feel a bit better. He actually got an Award of Excellence yesterday. And those awards can only be used for entertainment. So, you go out to dinner or to a play and submit your receipt, then they give you your money back. So, we will be going out to dinner some time soon :)

We used to eat out all the time. And now, I don't think we've been out to dinner since vacation.

boolady
10-10-2006, 10:50 PM
See? You can't have made any bad kharma, if your DH won the Award of Excellence and now you both get to go out to dinner. Enjoy!

mommy111
10-11-2006, 04:59 PM
1. I never won a prize. Never ever. Only happens to good people.
2. You're taking the extra stuff back=Good person. Hopefully they'll tell you it really was all yours :)

jgiovagn
10-11-2006, 08:22 PM
Ummmm...you're not a bad person! You didn't keep it!!!

candybomiller
10-11-2006, 10:57 PM
So you're claiming not to be a good person? I'm sure that's absurd.

I've won plenty of things, and believe me, I'm definitely not pure as the driven snow. People aren't all good or all bad. It's pretty much impossible.

denna
10-12-2006, 05:58 AM
Well first off Rada, let me say Congrats on the win. And second you are ABSOLUTELY NOT a horrible person, everything you did was completely selfless. You are being to hard on yourself. I hope your DH enjoys the gift.

Radosti
10-12-2006, 11:22 AM
Thanks! I took it back the next day. The director was actually walking past me and I told her I needed a minute of her time. She saw my ID and said, "Oh, you got the wrong prize!" I said, "No, I got an extra prize." Then, she took the gift bag from me and turned to walk away. A half a second later, she remembered herself and said, "Thank you for being honest and bringing it back! I really hope you enjoyed the party and the prize." I told her my husband was very excited about the golf package.

And that was it. She knew she was missing a prize and was expecting me.

mommy111
10-12-2006, 02:29 PM
Never quite thought about the whole prize thing in reverse. Hmm, I guess what I said does imply that I'm a bad person. For the record, I'm not really a good person, just aspiring to be good some of the time and hoping to pass under the radar and be neither bad nor good the rest of the time person. :)