Monday, July 09, 2007

On Lending

Hi there,

I saw you eyeing my dress, I know, you loved it. I do too. In fact, that was the most money I’ve spent on a dress in 5 years, which doesn’t say much, but it does say something. I love the color, the way the flowers are perfectly splashed on in hot pink and end before the seam under the chest. I love the way it’s strapless and offsets my tan. I love the way I looked in it in every picture from the wedding I wore it to last summer.

So when you asked to borrow it for a wedding you had in September, I didn’t really want to let you borrow it, but I did because that’s what I *always* do, with the promise that you’d return it, unwashed and un-dry cleaned. Because that’s the way I like it. I like to deal with my clothes myself because inevitably you will put my favorite sweater in the dryer and it will shrink to doll-size or you will bring my dress to the dry-cleaners with gum stuck to the bottom and forget to tell them and it will set and be irremovable.

I expected my worn dress back from you by the end of September and when I hadn’t seen it by October I thought I would remind you, you said you would drop it off when you came over for dinner. You came, but the dress didn’t. When I reminded you again in December, you said you would bring it to work and I could pick it up when I met my friends out for drinks there. I came, but the dress didn’t. When you said you would bring it over on your way home last week you didn’t show and didn’t bother calling. Well, guess what. Now you’re moving to California TODAY and I still don’t have my dress, and, quite frankly, I’m pissed. I’ve tried calling BOTH of your cell phones and BOTH mailboxes are full and not receiving messages.

I would like to say that I’m never letting anyone borrow anything again, but I won’t because it’s probably not true. And nothing that I’m going to say is going to ease the annoyance that has settled in my stomach. At the very least you have reminded me that when you lend out your stuff you should expect to never see it again. Ever.

Signed,
Your un-happy lender

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