…I was engaged to arranged to take a previous girfriend to a party as I was busy. When my appointment was cancelled, I told him that I could come along after all - with her too. He replied that he would still be taking her - alone - as I had such a strong personality I `would overpower her´.
Unsurprisingly, that relationship hit the skids, and he is a rare ex who I have never kept in touch with.
I would be the last to deny I am blessed (in my view!) with a strong personality, yet, for all that, I do seem to allow people to take advantage. And far too much!

Apart from taking the occasional parcel for me, I never ask anything of my neighbours. Both are older than me and both are relatively hard of hearing though only one turns up the TV - usually late at night. There could be worse, and we are all generally friendly in this close.
However, with both, garden boundaries have been encroached, either with manic plants growing like weeds on my side whether I want them or not, or with fencing into and over my space. With one in particular, her gardener was again (yes - again!) trying to fence over my bit of land.
You´d have thought as the fence was being replaced again - and having pointed out the error previously - that some courtesy and consideration would have been shown by getting it right now. But no. No wonder I felt like an erupting volcano for nearly an hour!
Actually, any inner volcano flared because consideration from that quarter is quite rare. The other now shows more concern after we spoke about it a year or so ago (ie consideration is two-way). Although perhaps it is also because she seemed strangely moved that I should be so concerned about her health. Why wouldn´t I? I´d be concerned about even my worst enemy if I had one. (Do I?)
I wouldn´t mind if apologies fell readily from her lips, but they rarely if ever do. I´ve told both neighbours to cut down any offending branches or greenery that might annoy them, but the magnolia owner expected me to continue being swiped as I walked up my own path until she was ready to prune it. That really is not on.
And there´s the real issue - lack of concern and empathy for others while expecting it in return. Back to that sense of entitlement again.
*
Saw this in my inbox: "Due to the new government public sector cuts announcement my role at Arts Council England as PR Campaign Manager on A Night Less Ordinary (a youth engagement initiative to encourage under 26´s to attend live theatre) has come to a premature end."
Obviously I hope the person in question gets another job quickly, but it´s mindblowing that there have actually been such jobs funded by you and me.
*
Being ultra organised, I have normally done my tax return by now. But with changing software to a new package, new bathrooms and God knows what, it is still being ploughed through.
For some reason, despite now having dedicated business credit cards and dedicated folders, tracking e-receipts has been much more complicated this year. Some have been deleted or not logged at all - even on the suppliers website (eg eCar) - and some have had multiple different entries (ie Easyspace). Hence having to check back with each one to verify what exactly I did pay.
Printing them all out is not the answer, especially as suppliers like eCar never send acceptable (to HMRC) receipts... and it is an expensive answer, paper and toner-wise.
So now they have all been shifted to Google Docs (unshared!). But it still meant (means) compiling a proper list and making sure that business and private expenditure don´t get mixed.
Utterly exhausting - though it didn´t stop me picking up those UST vibes. Not sure whether to be flattered or not.
*
Yesterday´s attention to accounts duties was topped off by preparing various labels for the postcard marketing, as well as one for putting on the back of art exhibits (got the idea from a successful artist a couple of months ago). Another not pleasing task.
*
Art is informed by the life we lead, by our thoughts, experiences and desires. My blog posts are either streams of consciousness, wrestling with spiritual concepts or other experiences on this particular spiritual journey. For examples of how this translates into my art, please visit my gallery. Euphrosene Labon Mind Body Spirit Artist Author Writer