I started this blog with a couple definite objectives. To ensure my surviving family and loved ones knew what was in my heart when I am no longer around to answer questions, and to further communicate with my father just what all was in my heart. Dad passed away in July. I suspect Dad's friends and family have all experienced the full gamut of the emotional spectrum in these last few months. Perhaps one of the things I miss most is the ability to share my irritations with him. We talked often, and the subjects were wide ranging. I always felt better after having heard his opinion on whatever it was that was bugging me.
So, since a phone call is out of the question, I figured I might take a moment or two to just rant about a few things that are on my mind. I will break them up into individual rants..... but it is basically me discussing things that I find annoying, or vexing. Since I am putting these ideas forward, I somehow feel Dad is getting an earful. Just as in life I am somehow sure he will find a way of answering. I do so hope I feel satisfied after getting the shhhhh....... negative stuff out of my head.
So, to start with my in general ragging on things, let me start with a current news item that my Internet provider thought should be national news. Seems a large retail outfit that specialized in wedding apparel went broke. In today's world another business closing its doors should be no surprise to anyone. But, this business had the audacity to render unusable any and all wedding dresses it was forced to dispose of. The news story relayed indignation that the retailer had destroyed wedding dresses that had not sold. It relayed the anger of many a young bride who felt put upon because when they went dumpster diving for a wedding dress they discovered that the dresses were ruined.
This is where I am forced to suddenly channel the sports figures when they confront someones unbelievable ignorance or ineptitude with a grimacing "C'mon man......".
Where to start. First, dumpster diving for wedding dresses? That may be news, but not of the kind that anyone would want to be interviewed over. Matter of fact, I can easily conceive of several Utube videos of women fighting in a large dumpster over particularly fine wedding dresses. Maybe with week old lettuce on their heads. That individuals might be forced to dredge through garbage for a dress is just .................................... sad. If finances are that tight, well, maybe a non traditional service is in order.
Second, I am betting that the chain in question knew for some time they were in trouble, and probably did everything they could to entice people into buying (obviously they missed out on not having a dumpster sale....... sorry, could not help myself). Since insufficient people bought dresses, they went out of business. Think of the employees and owners who have lost.......... well, employment, benefits, maybe the house. Certainly the image of a bunch of wedding dresses in a dumpster should elicit some sympathy. They represented someones dashed dreams of a successful future. A little somber reflection here please.
So the company decided to destroy the merchandise. Let me get this straight, someone was irate because they could not profit from someone else suffering. You have to be kidding me. Talk about a sense of entitlement. Whatever the owners wanted to do was their business. If they wanted to have a blue crab feast and use the dresses as a table cover.......... it was their dresses. No one has any business questioning what they did with their property. NONE. Now, if they had wanted to offer the dresses as gifts, they might have had a potential write off for taxes, or they might have accomplished something that would make themselves and several others eternally thankful. Such an act might have taken some of the bitterness out of the horrible situation they found themselves in..... They could have, but they did not "Have to". They did not owe anyone a gift. There was no great moral obligation to display generosity. You do not have to go far to be confronted with someone in need. I wonder if the individuals expressing such self righteous outrage over their perceived insults have done any better in today's climate of "me first". Somehow I think you would find few benefactors for St Jude on that list of individuals so vociferously trashing the now defunct business.
How about a little understanding. Maybe a little compassion. And shame on the news editor that let that story through. Bad enough that some selfish morons can not see that they are not entitled to benefit from another's tragedy, much less to forward such dribble and present it as newsworthy. This is what passes for journalism? Must have been a slow news day.
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