Adamus at Large

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

To Succeed in Life, You have to Actually Show Up OR How David Pastorius still owes me Eighty Dollars

This is not going to be a masterpiece. I am not saying I have, in the past, managed to create such but, If ever I had, this isn’t going to be it. No exemplar this. I’m just mad.

Yes, I know, some of you are saying I should use the word angry instead. Nope. Not this time. I’m just too mad.

Irresponsibility. Complete lack of follow-through. Zero respect for me or my time. And it is rampant.

And this last week, I had had enough. Here is what I posted as my status on Facebook the other morning.

"I will indulge in a moment of complaining and excoriating (which I shall confine to Monday mornings, though, I like Mondays) as I dislike being taken, as I abhor dishonesty and irresponsibility. Such went the way of my recent electric bass lessons for which I waited so long, for which money was paid and no teacher showed. Waste of time and money. Ask me who it was?"


Of course, people did. Did I call. Did I email? Did I demand my money back? And I answered.

"I sure have. David Pastorius keeps saying he'll bring it by but doesn't. He just keeps wasting my time. I am past wanting my cash back for the three lessons not used. I want it all back since he wasted so much of my time."

It was suggested I stop by his place of work.

"Excellent idea. When he gets back from NYC, I will have to spend some fun time finding where he works and just enjoy annoying him until he pays me back.

I might write a small blog entry on it and include his name. After all, it will come up whenever his name is searched and it isn't libel as long as I say only what is true. He did not show for the second class and did not call. The next class he asked only a few hours ahead of time (and then by email) to cancel due to his daughter's b'day though, one would assume he knew ahead of time, eight years ahead of time, when her birthday was. Later that evening I saw a Facebook post from him that he was at a jam session. The next week he just plain didn't show up. I had to call him, of course. Then he promised twice to give me the money back for the missed classes. Never did. Just the facts."


I did speak with him once. He said he was not cut out to teach. He’d return the money. He didn’t. He said “I’m not like that” and that he’d get it to me before leaving for New York. He didn’t. Apparently, he is like that.

Prior to his leaving for NYC, I called him. I texted him. I emailed him.

"Well, I didn't see you Friday and I know you are leaving Monday for NYC. I wish I did not feel as though I have been taken and cheated, but there you are. I should not even have had to have asked for the money back as it should have been offered by you when you abdicated your position as teacher and wasted my time waiting for you.

I have been working on an essay on people who simply do not come through. Workers who do not show up, people who ask for business and do not return calls, people who want to be hired but don't show for interviews. All first hand. It seems I will be able to add this experience to that. And, as I am rather well-read (bloggily speaking), it, and your name, will show up on the Internet searches quite easily and quite a bit.

Silly me, I am hoping you make good on this before it is published so I can let it go without your name.

Please make good on this and don't leave me asking again. I waited time waiting for you and now I am having to ask repeatedly for the money back. It just isn't right."


And right it is not. So while I was at Guitar Haven talking to Howie, the owner, I mentioned it when there was a crowd around. I did the same while I was at Florida Discount Music. A few other places too.

If it was only Pastorius it would be annoying, I’d be out a eighty bucks, but it would not be so bad. But it isn’t. This behaviour seems rampant.

It’s everywhere. We just moved into a house. We call people to do repairs. No calls back. Repair people who dropped their cards in our office do not call back when we call to hire them. People we’ve managed contact set times to come by but never show for an estimate. Handymen hired don’t reappear.

People send in resumes for positions at our office and make appointments for interviews. Beg for interviews. They don’t show up. (We finally did find a great person for our front desk but... well, that’s another story.)

Massage therapists hired simply do not appear for their first days. I need not point out the economic climate now. Not showing once hired? (Thank heaven’s for Jazmin but, that too, is another story. She starts soon. Start making your appointments.)

So I’ve had it with this. Totally. Completely. Brains. Ability. It means nothing if you don’t show up.

Dave, it doesn’t matter how good you are. Ya gotta show up.

And you still haven't.