Dear Scared (with a wave to Indigo)~
I've been living without power or internet for a while now and things have only just come back on. You were talking abut the narrow margin between employment and losing a job and being on the street. There's also a narrow margin between having an electric household when the power goes off, no heat, food , showers or anything. I"m lucky I have a wood fire.
It is a pity your friend did not acknowledge your birthday gift, particularly as it would have been much harder for you to pay for it than many. Still you are the sort of person htat gives, and that it a worthwhile person to be. You friend may think too much of themsleves -dunno.
It is also probably at least part of the reason you do not like having meals paid for and end up extravagantly ordering drinks. From the sound of it you friends may not really notice that $50 cuts out essentials later on.
I've been in situations where I have had to reply on others and have felt the same way (though in my case pride came into it too). The only answer I had was to tell myself "what goes around comes around", meaning if I can't return favor I try to pass it on. This happened when my first wife passed away and I'd racked up serious medical bills.
Like Indigo I try to help those in need. If I'm at McD*****s and somebody with a particular dress and holding a bag is buying the very smallest burgers I'll shout them and put a couple more burgers with it. I can afford that, they would be scratching. I tell them "what comes ..." as otherwise they like you may feel bad.
In a hostile world there are some that get it.
Croix (who has all the lights and stove working now:)
