I am a sucker for people’s downright good natured-ness, but not always. The taxi and moto guy, despite being humble business people who want to make an honest dime out of their honest sweat, still cannot avoid trying to squeeze the last unfair dime out of my pocket so that they can gain more.

The entrepreneurial fellow who hawks thick, bright coloured, immaculately designed bed covers outside my home, always likes to quote three times the actual price for his wares, even when I do show the slightest hint of interest in that much needed item.

The newspaper vendor who deserves all the profits that every publisher gives him cannot avoid scratching off the price tag of my favourite periodical because he thinks I can afford to pay more. Everyone seems to be in a mad rush to deplete the last chinking coins out of my sorry state pockets.

I would like to believe that like I would want to work hard, make money and splash it all the way, like everyone else should want. Guess who has been trying to cheat people – myself.

I would have loved to always give a bonus to the fellow who charges the correct fee for a service or a commodity, but then I do not want the fellow to go into the habit of accepting bonuses, like my friends in a company that my colleagues and I regularly work together.

There is this kind lady, let’s call her Irene, who does a steller job for my company on behalf of her company on Day One, and out of gratitude, I say, "You can have lunch on me for all the trouble.”

Come Day Two, my good Irene does another of the good jobs, remember for which she is paid to do for my company not necessarily me and there she goes.

"You can’t even buy me a soda for all that trouble?” and our relations sour just because the poor lady cannot have any of my free lunches everyday.

What happened to people treating other people the way they would want others to treat them? Besides, if I am so good natured towards other people the way I have been indiscreetly been trying to let you know today, why do I so believe in growing rich through doing a business?

Why should I even be rallying against the moto or taxi guy who depends on the difference he makes on taking your lazy self around town, when it is healthier and will help you live longer to take a walk?

Maybe you are just greedy and selfish, like me. You dream of being filthy rich at the expense of everyone else, to dish out money to poor people who cannot help themselves instead of praying for those poor people to be richer themselves, perhaps richer than you. Enough of my tantrums!

The moral of the story is that we are not as good as we say we are, and that includes yours truly. By the way so that you know, someone will pay me because you have read this, and so the cycle of greediness at the expense of others (read you) goes on.

Have a selfless Sunday.

Email: kelviod@yahoo.com