Spring and early summer appear to be the season for receiving lots of invitations to lots of different events... graduations, birthday parties, 4th of July blow-outs, change of command ceremonies. You name it... we've been invited.
It's nice to be invited to special events, wouldn't you agree? I'm happy to be included, most of the time anyway. Sometimes, however, I'd simply rather be omitted from the guest list.
I'm really not trying to be petty, but honestly, why do some folks send invitations to people they don't even really know? I shouldn't speak for anyone else, but I will give my own opinion here.
Invitations = Gifts
If I know you or your family very well, then by all means, send me an invitation to your bash. I'll do my best to be there or at least acknowledge the occasion sooner or later. But if I've met you once 10 years ago and barely know your family, please just cross my name off of your guest list. Get a clue! It's not a great honor to be invited to the high school graduation of an old friend who never contacts me otherwise. Trust me, the message to the recipient is so loud and clear, you might as well just include the words "I want a gift from you" on your invitation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that IS what you're after, right?
Along the same lines are the endless number of people who seem to think it's perfectly okay to hit others up to support them in some charity event in which they are participating. Again... if we know one another, it's okay to contact me to ask for a donation, and I'll happily oblige. Heck, I may even participate myself! However, if you never acknowledge my existence for any other reason, just lose my phone number, email and snail mail address. In case no one has ever told you... that's in poor taste and downright tacky.
Oh yeah... one more thing, while I'm complaining. I'm on a roll! Why quit now? Please don't send me Facebook messages wanting to be my friend if all you're interested in doing is sending me information about your business or your political or religious views. You're entitled to your opinion and I respect that, and I might actually be interested in hearing about it if you were sincere in wanting my friendship to begin with. If I don't respond to anything you send me, you'll know why.
I've obviously needed to express my thoughts on these situations for a while now. Sorry for being so direct, but I do feel much better now.
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