It’s the Principle

When there’s a dirty kitchen to be cleaned but I refused to clean it

When there’s an extremely dirty floor that I could have helped take care of

When there are dirty dishes that need to be rewashed in order to be usable but I refuse to touch them

When there are expenses that can be split to ease the financial burden but I refuse to hand over a single penny

When I can leave my son’s scooter and bicycle on the patio but I refuse to leave them there

For if I ‘clean’ the kitchen, even just once, it became my responsibility from that day forward

For if I were to ‘clean’ the floor, that would also become my responsibility from there on out

And if I were to clean all dishes, that burden would be placed on me as well

And if I were to hand over money to help with expenses, I would be expected to pay for EVERYTHING – from the the rent to the bills to the groceries in the fridge. There would be no splitting from the second I handed over the first set amount.

And the scooter and bicycle would constantly need to be replaced because they constantly be targets by an alcoholic and end up damaged.

Yes, bikes and scooters and bikes can be replaced

Yes, taking over cleaning would mean a cleaner environment

Yes, ‘helping’ with expenses would be the smart move

But if everything was placed ON ME to do

If bicycles and scooters are constantly needing to be replaced

It becomes about learning to say ‘No’

Because it’s about the principle of the situation

I SHOULDN’T be the only one cleaning the house

I SHOULDN’T be the only one cleaning the floor

I SHOULDN’T be the only one paying for things

I SHOULDN’T have to constantly be replacing bicycles and scooters because they were destroyed by an alcoholic

Because TALKING to the individuals involved is like talking to a brick wall

I can talk all I want

I can make all the requests I want

It becomes futile if it constantly falls on deaf ears

So I don’t wash dishes

So I don’t clean the floor

So I don’t help with expenses

So I don’t leave my son’s bicycle and scooter in harms way

Because I’d rather look ‘bad’ from the outside knowing full well what’s happening on the inside

Because either way, it becomes a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation

Because if I don’t do it, I look bad

But if I do, and then it comes out what’s been happening, I still look bad because I did it anyway

So I’ll take the initial ‘hit’ where it looks like I’m not ‘helping’

Because I know full well what’s going on behind the scenes and the story behind it

It’s easy to give ‘advice’ from a distance

Lift the veil and I’ll be more than happy to show you the truth

This time, I have concrete evidence to back me up

The first time I may been dealing with a slick con man who knew how to hide evidence

But the second time around, the individuals involved dug their own grave and made it easier to prove my case