Another rant so soon? Yes, it seems these things come in waves. Furthermore, there have been several things going on.

In all kinds of ways, I give a LOT to my community. I give time/skill/talent to charity and other community efforts. I pick up random trash I see. I take a shopping cart from the parking lot into the store. I truly strive to leave every place better than I found it. When asked, I freely give advice for business or charity or just whatever experience I’ve had. I connect people to one another all the time when I see that they have a reason to trade contact info. Etc. Ad Nauseam. Et. Al. Dammit. I don’t want to stop doing these things. I don’t want to have to hold certain information as “proprietary” or “client-only”. Unlike to most only children, I like to share.

I’ve been told I’m a giver. I guess that fits more times than not. Still, at several points in my life, I’ve been faced with no-tit-for-tat. I have never claimed a need for things to be equally balanced. In fact, close friends will tell you that I frequently give more than I expect to receive.

Still, I need for there to be some balance. After all, Themis can hold unbalanced scales only to a certain point before she topples over. I need to be rewarded for my hard work/knowledge/etc. in some small manner. Just give credit where credit is due.

Lately, I’ve given, given, and given. And I’m sad to say that I haven’t been fairly acknowledged when the circumstances called for it.

• There was one charity who failed to recognize my donation. Even as I was taking photographs of the leader thanking all the other sponsor vendors, she left me out. Just about the time I was going to give up on them, they gave me props and then some. They earned their way back into my good graces with some serious publicity for AYW.
• Our new neighbors like to slam (not close, not shut, but SLAM!) their door 20+ times a day. Even whey they all leave together (we have NO IDEA how many are living in that 2 bedroom unit), they slam the door at least once per person.
  In addition, some resident dog owners aren’t picking up their dog’s poop. One lady even lets her dogs run around unleashed and unsupervised. Really? Read your lease! I am now helping a friend with the occasional dog walk. I will rat you out if I catch you.
  If I can pick up the wind-blown trash around here, they can at least make the effort to close the door (instead of slamming it) and pick up their “canine bowl movements”.
  [Bonus points for anyone who caught that movie reference.]
• Someone who learned a lot from me through a volunteer experience misused that knowledge. Now, while this would normally not be a thing (we all learn from each other; we all take ideas and tweak them to our liking), the friends we have in common know where she learned this stuff. Again, not a problem…until she professed fact to some mis-information that could make me look inept. This is annoying because she even requested donations from me. I couldn’t honor her request, but spent a decent amount of time trading info with her about exactly how to do what she wanted. Um, don’t use me as your “expert” if you are going to go against the mission of the group and cause infighting. Several years experience taught me a thing or two.
  Reminds me of another time when …
• I turned down a recurring event in part because my generous donation was not given the credit it deserved. Can you believe they asked me again two times (I politely declined the first request, but received another) to donate? What what? Oh, it gets better. Someone else posted my photos on their own blog without any reference to me what-so-ever. I guess if the original poster had credited me, the other blogger might have seen fit to follow suit, but since [original poster] didn’t, neither did [that other blogger]. Le sigh. No more freebies for anyone in that circle of influence. Meanwhile, several of that same group are patting each other on the back in a public manner. pshaw! THEY asked ME, remember? I didn’t offer my services only to find them underutilized from a lack of fit. This morning, the 2nd offender sent a note asking if they were my photos and did I want credit. Um, yes. Thankfully, she immediately gave me lovely credit. And anyone wonders why I frame and watermark most of my images? Le sigh, again.

One of my scales is full. I’m going to wait until the flies and dung beetles eat some of the shit off them before I let any more pile up. Don’t make me use that sword!