Here is my two cents.
Not donating blood because someone was rude to you is well… rude.
My decision was based on that it was 9:30 pm, I was alone, and the creep ran past a No Trespassing sign, to rant and rave over something that wasn’t even his personal property. I tried to walk away, but the jerk followed, he wanted to get my apartment number.
What the heck, my chest was hurting and I realised I needed to sit down somewhere and in a hurry, and so as he was preventing my getting to refuge, I went through the garage door.
Five minutes later I heard some sounds, and looked outside to find that the creepy guy had gone and retrieved the grocery cart, pushed it to the yard and left it overturned there.
I hated, absolutely hated, feeling so weak and scared.
Donating blood has always done that, but it was something I could do.
However I didn’t enjoy being scared over such a trivial thing.
It may seem like a small thing to you, but that guy could have done me real harm.
As it is, there are kids who won’t be getting my blood and platelets and for that I am sorry.
Let’s see any of you have a run-in with a stranger like that one, and see how good you feel about humans after that.
The cart, by the way, was found on a street by a bus sign, about eight blocks away from the store.
lindsay
If I could find that guy that gave me such a scare I’d glady tell him that his threatening behavior had consequences.
Then I’d like to put my foot down his throat.
A bit of revenge would make me feel so much better.
Of course my reaction is illogical, I’ve heard that can happen if you are scared out of ones wits.
The guy at the Blood Bank said he would have used the shopping cart too, that is what I meant when he said he would have done the same thing.
Excuse me for being a wuss and being frightened of a strange man who ran after me on a dark street. How illogical of me.
How dare I be wary of others after that?
Geesh.
lindsay
huh?
Ok I will play along,
A lady side swiped me with her car two years ago, almost killed me.
Because of that I will never again donate money to Jerry’s kids.
One of the few to be personally welcomed to this board by Ed Zotti.
Yours truly,
aha
Well, no, that in itself is not illogical, and I’m sorry it happened to you. But how on earth does that relate to you donating blood for medical purposes? Some of your blood will go to assholes anyway: it’s all a matter of probability.
What the hell, me, too.
About 2 1/2 years ago, a psycho-lady attacked me in the washroom of the public library. Because of that, I will never again donate to the Salvation Army or volunteer at a homeless shelter. (Mine is worse than Lindsay’s, because actual physical contact occurred, so I get to stop performing two charitable works. Do I get to eliminate a third, due to the police involvement?)
konners: I’ve been giving blood since I ws 18. Nice try.
linsday:My SO was raped when she was 15. As a result, she hates everyone and wants people to die. Not only does she never donate to anything, she kicks Salvation Army Santas in the balls and takes other people’s money.
Fuck off.
Shit, you aren’t even worth calling a putz.
-andros-
The loss of blood left me weak and short of breath, and vulnerable.
That is most unpleasant.
Maybe a better way to say this is that because blood donating takes away some stamina, I’ve decided it’s better to forgoe the donating for now.
lindsay
or:
You are really, really fucked up, lindsay.
Get some help.
Thank you so much, but what kind of help?
I’ve donated blood 72 times, and didn’t keep count of the times I’ve donated platelets.
Yet you won’t see me telling someone else they are a lower form of life for not donating blood.
People, line up and take your Thorazine.
lindsay
No, you’re not a lower form of life for not donating blood.
But greed and anger both sure looks like fucking stupid reasons to stop.
Greed and anger? The truer reason for stopping was after that encounter with that creepy fellow I realised that donating blood always leaves me weaker than usual. More vulnerable, if you will.
Sure, I was ticked at Creepy for being such a jerk, and if he had any functioning synapses I’d look him up and point out that behavior has consequences.
I quit donating in small part because I was angry at not being able to defend myself and for being afraid of the guy, outside of my own home.
However, physically I feel better by not donating.
What do you say about this, the lady I donated the blood for told me that I was a fool to do so for free, and that I should never have done so. She was the receipent.
She might not have what one might call a logical response, but heck, I respect her opinion as being valid.
lindsay
Doesn’t jibe at all with:
Care to try to reconcile these two comments?
Eschew Obfuscation
What are some of you so ticked about? I’ve donated 72 times, am told that one unit helps 8 people, that is 570 some folks who benefitted.
Meanwhile 9 of 10 people who saw that bright gauze on my arm would ask what it was from and when I’d say donating blood, they’d ask how much do you get?
When told nothing they all said I was foolish and they would never give their blood away.
Losing blood is a physical strain on the body.
Sure, it was bad timing to run into the neighborhood creep, but all that did was make me realise how vulnerable one is.
So I decide to stop giving blood.
And this makes you angry?
Do any of you think you are entitled to something free forever, just because it used to be free?
Geesh, at least the BB sent me a card thanking me for all the years of giving.
Then I use this faceless forum to rant a bit, and most of you react as though I am doing something personal to you.
If you don’t already know, only 5% of the U.S. donates blood. Even with that small number, the blood banks and hospitals are doing very well indeed.
If you think I am a Loon for not donating anymore why don’t you roll up your sleeves and get on the table? Surely you can make up for the loss of one person.
lindsay
Oh I don’t know that I could reconsile two remarks. After all, there is no such thing as thinking over ones earlier comments and realising that some clarification might have been in order.
Nope, no reason to do that. But I can. I can go to Mass at noon and to a Black Mass at midnight and believe in neither and both at the same time, participating in both.
Drives me mum nuts, me too.
That said, explain why because I was a donor for seven years, I should go on giving, when there are physical consequences to me.
Sure I get those cute pins, for the first gallon, and a big lapel pin is available for a 10 gallon donor, but where is the charter that says once a donor, always a donor?
lindsay
To: JDeMobray: You say I am Shallow, Self Centered, Small Minded and Greedy, as if that were a bad thing. I am all of that and more.
Since I am all of these things, why don’t you get on the phone and make an appointment to donate your blood and platelets? Then you can feel so superior to yourself.
Thanks so much for your comments.
Really such a fuss over something that was free.
Swore I’d love you till the end of time.
And now I’m praying for the end of time.
lindsay
No one is suggesting that you have to keep giving, just that your rationalisation is a bit twisted (insofar as it is believable).
The physical consequences of your giving blood are obvious at long distances: I can tell you’re light-headed from here.
picmr
I’m sorry, perhaps English is not your first language, but which part of:
means “I decided to stop donating for physical/health reasons.” or “I decided to stop donating because I think donors should be compensated.”?
Clarification? The two comments contradict each other directly!
‘I don’t want to be weakened’ isn’t a clarification of ‘I don’t want to let rude people have my blood.’
It’s a complete backtrack.
I’ve got no problem with that, but that is not what you said, until you realized that you were getting no sympathy for your greed and selfishness, and had to try to convince us you weren’t just a selfish, avaricious bitch.
‘I’ve done good’ is no excuse to stop doing good, any more than ‘There’s bad people out there.’ If you don’t want to give blood, so be it. No one can (or should) force you. However, don’t try to justify yourself to us, because you can’t do it, and if you really felt you were in the right, you wouldn’t feel the need to.
Eschew Obfuscation
Guys, there are about four or five different arguments going on with lindsay right now. Inside her own head. She doesn’t donate blood because
1)Rude, horrible people might get it.
2)She feels better when she doesn’t donate.
3)She feels vulnerable in her post-donating weakness.
4)She doesn’t get paid for donating.
To us, these are four distinct, possibly acceptable (except for #1), reasons for not donating blood. To her, they are all the same reason. Maybe they are four distinct reasons for four distinct personalities but they are manifesting as one person’s opinion. Either that, or lindsay saw how absurdly selfish and stupid the lines,
really are and decided to try and come up with a more plausible reason for not donating blood. Either way, I’d say this one is a lost cause.
Those who are dancing look insane to those who cannot hear the music.
One-of-a-kind, custom-designed Wally sig available on request.