What a Piece of *$#* Is Man Sometimes

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet,
to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me—
nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

If you don't know, that passage is from Hamlet. It's one of my favorite moments where Hamlet ponders the unbelievable nobility and grace of humanity. Despite his awe though, he is not moved by what he sees. I've had a few days to ponder humanity myself. On the one hand, humanity is truly amazing. On the other, humanity is hopelessly bereft of anything but cruelty. This befuddling duality of humanity has been on my mind.

Last week, I had occasion to spend a few days in a tree house cabin with some friends of mine. This gathering was a pre wedding retreat for a friend. Unfortunately, my body decided this was the perfect time to succumb to a nasty cold. My husband also received some distressing news on the day that our little hen party was to begin. During the four day retreat, I received some of the most compassionate and kind acts. My friends knew I was ill and they got me some medicine to help my cough and congestion. They knew I was in a bit of shock and worry about my husband's news and took measures to help me relax and take care of myself. They listened, helped me laugh, and supported me the whole weekend without me ever needing to ask. This is what friends do for one another. They not only looked out for me and did not razz me about coughing all night long (although I am sure it must've been awful sleeping for some of them), they did the same for each other when little quandaries popped up. In this small group of women, I was able to observe laughter and merriment and support that exemplified how humanity can indeed be angelic and beautiful among the Earth's creatures.

Conversely, I also experienced the other side of "this quintessence of dust" that definitely did not delight me. As those of you who have been reading know I have been struggling with changing jobs and trying to maintain happiness even when the bastards try to keep me down. Just before this tree house trip I got an invitation to interview for a part time job via my free lance site. I sent an inquiry for more information and was excited that this person thought I'd be perfect for the job. I let her know that I had some non-negotiable time off for vacations and weddings and she seemed fine. I even told her that come fall, my time would be somewhat more limited, so answering her messages during certain times of the day might be difficult. She wasn't worried. I eagerly awaited my first job assignment when I returned from my tree house adventure. 

As I understood it, my job was to cover making travel arrangements for her, responding to messages for her when she was away, scheduling, and at times purchasing needed items and shipping them to charities like orphanages. I didn't think much of it because it promised $400 a week, which would build up nicely toward purchasing our own medical insurance, a down payment on a new truck for my husband, and it would alleviate some financial burden about paying my student loan. Awesome right? Well, my first job assignment shows up two days late and it is a check for just under $2000. Right away, I am surprised and a bit confused. I was expecting directions and new employee paperwork and a task assignment list. I email my new boss and she says that since the shopping list for this orphanage is so large, shipping all the supplies would be difficult and that she had "reached an accord" with the director of the facility who would buy the items herself. All I needed to do was deposit, wait, and then Money Gram the money less my weekly salary to this person. Sound fishy? It did to me and to my husband as well. It sounded gloriously easy mind you, but it also made me a little apprehensive. Consequently, we did some Googling and found a check fraud scam from a few years ago that hit Craigslist. Same M.O. and almost identical circumstances. I was crushed. Not only would this put the skids on some of our plans, but it meant someone was using my freelance site for nefarious purposes. It also meant that someone (probably a lot of someones) is out there preying on people who are trying to find work and earn a living, but who will end up committing fraud and being held accountable for all the money he or she transferred unknowingly. Thankfully, I had done nothing with the money. 

Humanity can be noble and admirable in its infinite faculty. It can also be cruel, predatory, and awful. Trying to keep believing in the innate goodness of humanity is damned difficult when you experience the other side of humanity. For now, I am eternally thankful for the wonderful women with whom I had the delight of spending a few days in a tree house eating good food, playing ladder ball in tacky formal wear, and going to the hot springs. They do delight me greatly as they are all strong, capable women of integrity and compassion. For this other woman who tried and failed to take advantage of me, I say:

fivefullplates.com