Friday, October 19, 2007

curb your generosity

Isn't it fun when life imitates art? Except when it's not.


Consider this clip. I'm told that this guy, L@rry Dav1d, was the basis for the George character on Se1nfeld.


Yesterday, a woman with whom Matt works fairly closely posted a sign-up sheet for a fund-raiser on her office door.

Matt thinks, well, I'd like to contribute a little. It's all I feel I can do right now. I wish I could do more. Another time, perhaps.

He sees that two or three people have already signed up, and one of those people pledged ten dollars. He thinks, okay. I can do ten dollars. I have it right here, in my pocket.

He writes down his name, and his donation amount, as the two or three others have done on the list above him. He goes on about his business.

A little while later, he's walking past the list, and he glances at it to see if any more donations have been made. Below his name:



-------NAME ------------------------- DONATION


---------X ---------------------------- $100



Matt is horrified. WHAT?! An anonymous donation?! He wasn't donating for glory or fame! He didn't know he could slip a donation in there without putting his name on there! Now he feels like a total chump.

As the day progresses, more and more people sign up to donate. All anonymously.

Matt's is the last actual name on the list.
He'd like to cross it out, but figures that would look even dumber.

I'm thinking, any day in which you in any way resemble George Costanza is just not the best of days.

3 comments:

  1. oh man - are you serious? that is fricken awesome.

    too bad he gvae ten whole dollars and not five or one (of course next to $100 it does look pretty half assed).

    maybe i love awkward too much - but, matt that rocks!

    now all you have to do is walk around and ask people why they didn't donate - and when they fail to keep it anonymous, go off on them :)

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  2. Anonymous10:24 AM EDT

    Oh man, I would TOTALLY do that if it weren't for workplace politics! (In my current position I'm no longer allowed to be humorous or sarcastic)

    -Matt M

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