July 26, 2013: It’s simple really. Just don’t get on my bad side…

“How long are you going to be?”asked Akemi as I parked the car.

“Ten, fifteen minutes,”I said.

“Okay,”she said.  ”I’ll wait in the car.”

“No, you’d better come with me,”I said and then proceeded to tell her about the article I read this morning concerning a woman who was charged with animal cruelty for leaving her dog in a car while she went off to run some errands.  Despite the fact that she had left the window open, the internal temperature inside the vehicle climbed so high that the dog passed out.  Fortunately, a police officer happened by, broke into the car and saved the dog who made a full recovery.  Still, the owner was found negligent, fined, and prohibited from owning a pet for ten years.

“I don’t want to run the risk of something similar happening,”I explained.  ”I run late, you’re left alone for an hour and then, the next thing I know, I get fined and I’m not allowed to date a Japanese girl for another ten years.”

“I think that’s a good rule,”she murmured as we headed into the building.

A couple of hours later, we were talking about a different set of rules – those unspoken rules we live our lives by.  I was on the phone, talking to a friend.  He was in a bit of a jam so I tried to help him out by offering him some of my airmiles.  After I hung up, Akemi noted: “You must really like him.”

“Well, of course,”I said.  ”He’s my friend.”

She threw me one of her curious sideways glances, sizing me up, then concluded: “You’re like that.”

“Like what?”

“Good to people you like.  If you like someone, you treat them very well.  Loyalty is very important to you.  And not just with your friends. With stores, restaurants.  If you had a good experience, you always go back.  If not…”

True, true, and true.  Lately, I’ve been going out of my way to do my book shopping at The Book Warehouse and at second hand bookstores around town because Chapters (Indigo) pissed me off.  I will never own a BMW, Mercedes, or Blackberry product.  The fact is, I’m a huge grudge holder.  Nobody holds a grudge like me.  On the flipside, don’t piss me off and I can be downright delightful.  I’m steadfast in my support of those that do right by me.

It’sI have a long memory for these things.