The sheer audacity

I know that quite often I end up ranting about people's annoying or selfish behaviour, I think it's because I genuinally believe that people are nice and won't do horrid things, so I'm constantly being shocked by the little things they do which show no consideration for others. Today's event is a theft which is really incredibly small and could be considered to be so petty it's worth ignoring, but I just couldn't believe it. I'd like to know if I'm unusual in finding this behaviour odd, to me the fact that the gain to the person was so incredibly small is what amazes me, why did they even bother? Right, what happened...

It began with me getting a new job, I'm not actually sure I've blogged about that, which is a bit weird since it's a fairly life-altering thing, but that's kind of beside the point at the moment, maybe I'll tell you about it later, I don't start till Friday anyway. So anyway, I will be leaving my current job (though not entirely since I'll still be working within the same group of libraries and in fact wll be based at the same library, but I'll be out in the community more and won't be manning the counter) and I wanted to say thank you to the people I've been working with for all this time, so I bought some token presents: flowers & chocolates. Well, one person wasn't there, so I left her chocolates at work to give to her next week, I put them on the side in the office just as we were leaving. We set the alarm and went home. The library isn't open on Friday's, so there was noone in (except the cleaner and a delivery man from our headquarters). I came back first thing this morning (Saturday) only to find that the box of chocolates had been unceremoniously ripped open and presumably some of them eaten.

Nicking a chocolate out of an open box I could understand, but who sees someone else's unopened box and tears it open? Surely they must know that whoever owns them will now know someone has been helping themselves? Am I unusual in thinking this is odd? I feel like I shouldn't be upset by it because it's only small, but it's the principle, I can't give those chocolates to the person now, they look awful. The staff room is meant to be our place, we shouldn't have to lock things away. I find it weird that someone would be that desparate for a chocolate that they would rip open a box too, making it pretty obvious they've been nicking them.

I left a very restrained note on them, explaining that they were to be a gift and asking whoever opened them to buy a new box and leave it there. I figured that way they can save face and not admit it was them, though I have my doubts that they will comply, if they are happy to openly steal, why would they replace it? They probably think we can't possibly know who it was. I kept trying to think of logical reasons and ended up phoning the other staff to check that no-one had thought they were their's, or already told the person they were for about them, so she'd popped in and eaten them, but no, and everyone was as shocked as I was. I don't want to become paranoid, so I really hope that there's some amazing misunderstanding that led someone to thinking they were supposed to eat the chocolates, I just can't think of a logical reason they could have had.

The new job

Well, I already started telling you about the job, but I could explain a bit further, basically I'll be running events in libraries: storytimes, internet tasters, coffee mornings etc. as well as working in partnership with outside organisations, promoting the library etc, going and doing talks at things like WI. It should be good, but also a bit scary, I'm an introvert, what am I doing going for a job that means talking to people! - get to do lots with kids though, must remember that, I like kids, plus lots more money, think of the money :-) - My diary is already filling up with appointments and things, getting millions of emails about things I need to do and I haven't even started yet. Had an email today to say I have to arrange to visit the prison to work out about starting a Manga club, my own fault for saying it'd be good to start Manga clubs everywhere. Was trying to think of good Manga club names, well, we could probably look at and talk about Anime as well as Manga, then you can have a name like Animeted or The Animetors or some such variation.

Facebook

Well, I've really been sucked in by its evilness. I still think it's suspicious, but I'm also finding it quite useful for seeing what people are up too, and the picture tagging is very cool. So yes, I'm hooked :-( but hey, I won't put on any information that I care if *they* find out.