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We learn as little kids that life’s just not fair, hence the phrase, “That’s not fair.”
In fact, life gets more unfair as we age.
Just the other day, I walked into a restaurant for lunch. They were offering free wine tastings.
I thought to myself, because I don’t drink they may substitute the wine for soda and anytime something’s free, I’m in.
I asked the waitress for several soda tastings to go along with my sandwich. She looked at me like I had two heads and said the soda’s not free.
I asked her to explain free refills to me then. She called management and I had to leave. Life’s not fair.
I spent 20 minutes checking myself out at the grocery store a few weeks ago. I had to enter codes and do my own bagging as well. I even ran back to aisle six for a price check. Why do they even have grocery clerks if we’re doing all the work?
What’s really unfair is I won’t be getting a paycheck at the end of the week.
Life’s not fair when a man slaps lines of different colored paint onto a canvas making millions on it at
auction, and I do the exact same thing and can’t get 20 bucks for it at an art show. Perhaps I’ll go to court and legally change my name to Pollock. I may do better this arts and crafts season.
I have an aunt whose birthday falls in December. She automatically gets ripped off on birthday gifts. She receives one present to cover both gift giving events.
Shame on the gift-giver. I told her to feign illness during the holiday, and she may also get some balloons and a gift basket for her effort. Life’s not fair.
Then I waited at the grocery store for a parking spot last week. When the spot I wanted was available, some “dope” drove right in and robbed me of it which was not fair.
However, he moved a lot slower than I did, so I was able to grab the last available cart. I’m certain he thought to himself – that’s not fair.
Two nights ago I sat down with a large bag of Cheetos to watch a movie. What I thought was a full bag turned out to be half air. I didn’t get through the first 10 minutes of the movie before they were gone. I was mad and hungry. Why can’t food companies just fill food packages like the circus fills a Volkswagon Bug with clowns? It’s just not fair.
Life’s not fair when your self-driving vehicle runs a stop sign and hits a patrol car while you were reading a book in the back seat, but the judge blamed you anyway.
Or when your friend buys a pair of thong underwear and pays more than she would have had she just bought a pair with the “cheeks” included.
Well, I suppose we just have to live with these types of injustices.
Today, I will be gardening. I have to dig up a fast-spreading plant that my sweet little niece found and gave me as a birthday gift. It’s grown so much.
We failed to realize a year ago when she gave it to me, that it was kudzu.
Life is so unfair ...
Anngee Quinones-Belian is a staff correspondent for the Cherokee Scout. Her column runs every other week. Email anngeeq@gmail.com.