I always say that I’m going to stop loaning my CDs/movies to people, but then I swear to myself that I’m going to remember what/to whom I loaned something, or at least be more discerning about the people to whom I loan things.
And then I go to pull out my “Imperial Bedroom” CD (Elvis Costello) because I’m dying to hear it, and it’s not fucking there. And fuck if I can remember who I loaned it to. And it probably has a ticket stub from one of the EC shows I went to tucked under the jewel case plastic- in fact, it was probably one of my favorite EC shows, because Imperial Bedroom is one of my favorite EC CDs, and I would likely put the stub from a great show into a great CD. Jesus. And 2/3 of my Woody Allen collection is out on loan too. What the fuck am I thinking?
Stop saying. Start doing – or, to be more precise, not doing what you’re currently doing. You know damned well when you lend stuff out you might as well kiss it goodbye.
So don’t. Don’t lend out your stuff. Period. The end.
Yeah, I’d pit myself, too, if I kept on doing stuff that I knew was stupid. Wait, I do stuff that I know is stupid - I pit myself too, for not exercising as much as I know I should.
You know what I’ve started doing? With really important CDs, DVDs, etc., I buy two copies, that way I always have one at home, and I have one to loan out. That way, if I don’t get it back, I still have a copy. Of course, since I’ve started doing that, no one’s asked to borrow anything. . .
The only people who borrow my stuff are either three friends who do return them, or one of my brothers - whose record collection gets shaken periodically by friends and relatives chasing out stuff. The first few times that she saw someone go to the pile of CDs, shuffle it and grab half a dozen, SiL tried to defend their property: after the fourth or fifth time she faced a very-sheepish husband saying “well, yeah, I borrowed it without asking, why?”, she assumes that we know which ones happen to be ours. We’re lucky the other non-permission-borrower in the group has lived out of town for ages: when he’s visiting, we just keep an eye on him and on our stuff.
Maybe you could just shorten the circle of borrowers?
Don’t chastise yourself. Just suck it up and buy a new one. Next joker that asks to borrow something treat to the life lesson of giving shit back like you got it. ON TIME!
The Collectorz range of cataloging software actually has a “Loans” section, where you can record who borrows what. The software also connects to the internet and downloads information about your movies (or books, or whatever) so you don’t have to laboriously type in all the details yourself.
Thank you, Frank. Well said. I saw EC last night at the House of Blues in LA (hence the desire to hear one of my favorite discs) and he sang this very song- one of my all-time favorites.
Hmm. A friend told me about an upcoming concert. I assumed he and his wife would be going, and that this was an invitation. I invited a coworker who I’m trying to turn into a friend, or hopefully more than a friend. She is unfamiliar with the artist. I promised her I’d lend her a CD. Actually, it’s a 3-CD boxed set. Now I find that friend and wife can’t go. And now this thread.
My brilliant evil scheme doesn’t seem to be working out as planned.
If I really love a book, I’ll buy another copy when it comes out in paperback. That’s my loaner. It has my name printed in black marker on the page edges, all sides. I’d like it back when you are through, so I can loan it to somebody else. Touch that hardback again and you’ll pull back a bleeding stump. Now get out of my library!