My best friend is the kind of guy who will spend time making decisions. I have more chutzpah and tend to make decisions and act on them without thinking a great deal on the issue. I am trying to grow up and be more responsible with my decisions, especially those committing my time and money – not unlike my friend. Sometimes, and very rarely, my friend errs on the side of caution and loses out. I usually lose out because I am impetuous.
When it came to seeing Weezer and Foo Fighters in concert the weekend after next, I took Jeremy’s approach to decision making. I thought about it and looked at my money. I checked the calendars at both of my jobs and asked to use the car first. I lined all of my ducks up before I bought the tickets. Any other time I have seen a concert, I bought the tickets and then had to move heaven and earth to find myself at the concert. I nearly lost money because of my impetuous behavior. This time my impetuous behavior would not cost me money. Everything was worked out.
I called Jeremy after work tonight to return a call from him and I told him that despite other reservations, I would go on and buy the tickets for the concert and go. I proudly announced that I had circumvented my ADHD impetuous tendencies to arrive at a decision in an adult, reasonable way just as he would have.
When the phone call ended, I went to the computer, checked on the Internet postings for my Graduate classes, and then went over to Ticket Master to buy my tickets and they were sold out. Not just the cheap seats, but the expensive ones as well. I checked before work and there were $24 tickets left and six hours later: they were gone. I keep trying the page over and over, with no luck.
The rest of the evening included weeping and gnashing of teeth: had I behaved as I normally do I would be asleep right now with tickets printed and pinned to my shirt. I did what my parents and friends had always hoped I would do: be just a little more like Jeremy – and this time I ended up with the short end of the stick. I feel the disappointment that you only feel when the person who has let you down is yourself.
While I was mourning my inability to get tickets, my sister introduced me to the Dark Side: she taught me to use eBay. I am still confused as to how it works but she assures me that I do have the potential to be the owner of tickets to see the concert if all goes well. This eBay witchcraft is still a great mystery to me and tomorrow I will call Ticket Master and try mortgaging my soul to them once more in the morning but for now I am winning an auction on eBay.
Also, while I was on the phone with my friend I made the comment that while I was a kid if anyone had the peer pressure vibe with me it was most certainly and only ever Jeremy. He was the first of my friends my parents ever liked and the only person they have ever said, “you should be more like…” and finally his peer pressure had worked for good: I looked before I leaped, I looked long and hard. The one time I take advice or follow his example and it has to be the one time the exception proves the rule.
The thing about eBay is: you might think you are winning the auction but during the final hour or two someone often outbids you.
Posted by: Alex Vance | Thursday, 06 October 2005 at 01:35 AM
make sure you go back about 2 minutes before the auction ends. and keep refreshing your screen. it will become a psycho bidding war for those last few minutes...even SECONDS. good luck. <3
Posted by: meredith | Thursday, 06 October 2005 at 02:42 AM
Don't you hate that? I am methodical and it has cost me lots of stuff. It is better to be impulsive sometimes. I like Weezer too.
Posted by: Margaret | Saturday, 08 October 2005 at 01:33 AM