It's all about the attitude...

So today, I'm at job #1, talking to K (the broke one), about this new book I'm currently reading (Millionaire by 30). She asked what type of book it was, and I responded that so far, it's more of a narrative than a guidebook, but that the author is absolutely hilarious and I'm really enjoying the book. She scoffs, and then responds "yeah, that's why he's a millionaire - he's charismatic - the kind of guy who could sell ice to eskimos... those of us who aren't charismatic are screwed".

That comment really threw me off guard for several reasons:

1) The author of the book doesn't strike me as a particularly charismatic person.
2) The book (so far) speaks nothing of selling, just of investing.
3) That's a very self-defeating attitude.

I didn't argue with her, since I don't really enjoy arguing with her, but in my mind I was saying to myself "That's why, K, you're going to be in debt for the rest of your life". It's becomming more and more apparent to me that having a positive outlook on life really does help.

I got another insight into her bleak outlook on life as we were driving to the mall today. I noticed a crack in her windsheild in the upper right-hand side (way out of her view) and stated that I hoped the crack, instead of spreading across the windshield, would just turn around out of sight. Again, she scoffed, saying that it was, of course, going to spread across the windsheild because that's what happens to her.

I'm not sure how much pessimism I can take...

Now, i'm not always a perky person. I consider myself a realist, neither pessimist or optimist. However, people who are constantly pessimistic drive me nuts!

It's not just that they have a bleak outlook on life, it's that they refuse to be helped (or even nudged) out of that attitude.

For example, here would be a conversation we would have at the office:

L: So, K, where do you wanna go for lunch?
K: I don't know, I'm so broke.
L: Well, we can just go downstairs to the cafeteria or just grab some fries.
K: Yeah, but that's so boring. Let's just go to (random fast food joint).
L: Okay sounds good. At least we get paid in (x amount of days).
K: Ya, but you get paid more than me and I have this bill and that bill and then I don't have any money left until the 15th and then I have more bills and I bought this and now my MasterCard payment is x more than it was last month and then I only have $4 to my name until next month.
L: *shrug*. You could just bring food from home?
K: But there's no food in my house and I get so bored bringing food and my dad always eats the leftovers and I have to buy groceries and blah blah blah.
L: *double shrug* Er......

(In all fairness, I do get paid more than her. We both technically get paid $12 an hour, but when I filled out my employment forms, I opted not to have extra taxes taken off, while she opted for having more taxes taken out, in the hopes of getting them back at tax time....I'd rather have my money now, thank-you-very-much. She seems to enjoy the tax-time windfall).

It's just the principal. My thoughts are, don't complain if you don't want the help. I don't enjoy other people butting into my buisness unless I ask for it, which is why I rarely complain. If I complain about things, generally I want help, or i'm being a bitch that day.

Arrrgh. It drives me nuts! It's like she's resigned herself to being in debt forever. Bah. I hate it.

It's too bad, since I really enjoy her company. But, it's no fun when every outing is tainted with her money-talk....