You, Me and Them

There are always some unfair terms in life. 1. The bank’s ATM breaks down and keeps spitting out banknotes; you call the bank and someone comes right away. If your bank card gets swallowed instead, they tell you after your call to come to the bank to pick up the card a week later. Lesson: when their own interests are not involved, there is no need to hurry at all. When their own interests are involved, they are more frantic than a monkey. 2. When you rent a place away from home you usually sign a contract with the landlord. If you keep living there after the contract expires and sometimes pay the rent a few days late, the landlord is quite easygoing. If there is any problem with the room, the landlord deals with it promptly. But when you are about to move out, a pile of problems appears… Lesson: when they can make use of you and have an interest relationship with you, they are there whenever you call; when they can no longer use you, they take a few hard cuts at you. 3. You often see people showing off that they know some richest man, some big shot, some TV host, that they are friends with so-and-so. Then one day when they fall on hard times, they find that nobody pays them the slightest attention. Lesson: real relationships are built on a long-term foundation, not on having a meal together, shaking hands, or taking part in a few events together and calling that knowing someone.