When you received something, are you grateful? Or are you part of the people who will ask for more?
Do you feel entitled for more things than what was offered?
Do you say thank you or request for more? Or worse do you look at what you received and say "just this?"
In this time where entitlement are given more room to grow, I find myself incredibly thankful to all kind souls I meet. Just like my wonderful sponsors who always give me hope and strength to continue.
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I found that I am discovering a lot of bad sides of my crochet family the longer I stayed there.
First, it was when the people I invited from there started being spammers on noise.cash. Just breaking all kinds of rules and calling it as "helping one another". When I call them out on it, they told me to read the rules of the site as if I was the one breaking them.
Next is when I started a giveaway of yarns. The mechanics stated that they have to register to a certain app that my father needed for his job. The application will also be helpful to small business owners anyway since it is a courier app, and when they use a referral number, they will get a 50% discount off the shipping fee.
Anyway, instead of showing the true spirit of "helping one another", many showed that they only want to take advantage of what is being offered for free without the intention of helping out.
And just recently, there was an issue about the routine games that the admins were doing. Usually the winners of these games will receive yarns with hooks (depending on the admin's discretion) but the winners will have to shoulder the shipping fee.
It is open to all members and participation is not required. It is only for those who are willing to pay for the shipping fee.
Honestly, the branded hooks that the admin are giving away usually makes up for the shipping fee already.
Also if they do not have money to pay for the shipping fee, there are giveaways organized by members wherein even shipping fee is paid for.
So in these games, when you participate, it is understood that if you win, you will shoulder the shipping fee. It is always stated at the start of every games.
Some people just don't care
But then there are those who participate in the games without reading the whole post. Or only paying attention to the prize.
So when they win instead of graciously accepting the need for sending the money for shipping fee, they would instead tell the admin, "Nagbigay ka na ng free yarns di mo pa sinulit at sinama ang shipping fee." (You are already giving away free yarns, why not try adding the shipping fee on top of that?)
When I saw this I literally just laughed. I cannot believe how people can behave that way. Imagine being offered branded hooks and yarns, all you have to do was participate in a game and pay for the shipping fee if you win.
Instead of feeling grateful you demanded for more.
Now, I understand that there are people there who want to have free yarns because they have no extra money so of course they will probably not have any money for shipping fee either. But like I said earlier, there are giveaways for that. The games were just for those willing to pay for the shipping fee.
And then we have a different kind of entitlement. Those people who feel like they can demand what colors of yarns should be sent to them. Because in their words, "ano gagawin ko jan eh ayaw ko ng kulay?" (What will I do with that when I do not like the colors?)
Remember that the money used for the prizes comes out of the admin's pockets. It is just her own free will, and everything is being managed by her. This is in addition to being a mother so she had to pay special attention to her kids. She just has no time to entertain the demands of the winners. She is already stretched thin as it is but she continues to do these games so that others may have more crochet supplies for free.
Imagine doing something because you want to help other but you ended up being bombarded with demands one after the other. If it were me, I would not even bother entertaining their questions.
But still this is my crochet family
Despite the questionable acts that some adults there commit on a daily basis. I can never deny just how much more silent angels are there.
Just the other day, the admin organized a paid raffle to help pay for the operation of the kid of one of our members.
There were 75 spots that needed to be filled and each spot cost P100 each. The prizes were insane which means there were a lot. All prizes were from the admin and some unnamed kind hearted members. All the payment goes into funding the operation needed.
Some gave money without procuring a slot. Some bought multiple slots but did not get the prizes when they won. Some bought slots and gave money as well.
In just a few days we were able to raise more than what was expected. The mother of the kid even sent a video thanking us.
This instance will probably stay with me. This is the moment where I finally saw just why we call each other family.
We are not just there to share our love for crochet or to participate in raffles. We are there to offer help when someone else needed it.
Closing words
Despite the multiple numbers of bad experiences I have with that group, there are always more members who want to do good instead of just feeling entitled for more.
There are members who are ungrateful but there are more members willing to lend a helping hand. There are members who might want to take advantage of other people's kindness but there are more members who work silently in helping those in need.
In this I learned that we see more bad things because they are usually loud and shameless while good things tend to happen in the background. Good things tend to keep to themselves and work silently.
They need no recognition nor announcement. They do things because they needed to be done.
The more I stay, the more I see why I cannot find it in me to leave. Because in the end, all of the members are just looking for ways to continue doing their crafts.
Thank you for reading this article!
If you want someone to talk to about random things, you can find me here:
Telegram: @zehrasky
noise.cash: ZehraSky
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The sad truth is that some people just want things for nothing, and like you said, just feel like someone owes them something. I am thankful I am not like that.