Is it too much to ask?

Whenever someone contacts me asking for some bit of information or advice — especially “friends of friends” and passersby this journal — I graciously dispense with said information as best I can, providing everything I know in the sincere hopes that I can help that person. I take it as my sacred duty to be the best resource that I can be, if nothing else to not make the friend who made the referral look bad because of poor manners.

Yet every time I take up this sacred duty, no one has ever once written back and said “thank you.”

Not once. Ever. Not in years.

Apparently people develop a case of broken fingers when they get the help they ask for. And even if what I say isn’t exactly what they were hoping to hear, I’d at least expect a polite, “That was very interesting. Thank you so much for your time!”

But no. The world is populated with ungrateful, unmannered clods. I see nowhere in the social contract that I should continue to waste my time and effort when it is so ill appreciated. So please cease to send your friends to me for advice, insights, help or ideas on any given subject. They’ll get nothing but radio silence. I’ve got much more important things to do than advise and support boors and ingrates.

Thank you for your understanding.