Is My Reputation Trashed?

I’m too fragile for social media. If someone unfollows or defriends me, I wonder why – what did I do? Was it something I said? (Probably) Why don’t they want to be my friend anymore?

I don’t go all crazy over it, stalk them or confront them about it. But it wounds me, as only the anti-social can be wounded – in a silent bitter way that causes me to withdraw for a week while I internally rant about how useless and artificial online relationships are. Then I go back and try to make new friends.

But I still think about it.

That riveting bit of insight may seem unrelated to what follows, but bear with me – it’s relevant.

So last week, while I was living the week of the absurd, a garbage dumpster was magically placed in my driveway.

Even though we had only called to inquire about it for a future building project, some strange miscommunication had it landing right behind my car last Tuesday.

Turns out, that was a good thing.

The week before our garbage man didn’t show up. Not the end of the world, but a bit annoying after I’d schlepped the bags to the roadside at 6:00 AM and tied them down against the invasion of crows.

He didn’t show up the week the dumpster was delivered, either.

So hubby took advantage of our shiny new receptacle by heaving two weeks worth of trash into it.

Since neither of us could remember or find the phone number to the garbage collector, we couldn’t call him. But yesterday, hubby ran into the young man that sometimes helps our collector.

Turns out he wasn’t collecting from us, because he has a problem with us.

The trash man has a problem with us.

How can the trash man have a problem with us?

We pay him. In cash. We bag our trash. We recycle the obvious so he never has ridiculous things to haul. If a bag is heavier than normal, we even leave extra money.

We do not let trash sit until it turns foul. No animal carcasses or illegal substances.

How can the trash man have a problem with us?

We don’t run in the same social circles, so that option is out, too. Hell, we don’t even have  a social circle.

And, was he going to let us know this at some point? Or was he just going to let us sit in our own filth until the CDC or pest control got involved? Until he saw us on an episode of Hoarders?

Now he’s not returning phone calls.

This might be our greatest fail. A basic societal fail, if you will.

We were rejected by the trash man.

And I may never know why even the garbage man doesn’t like us.

Ouch.

And will I keep obsessing about it?

You bet.