LEGWORK

from the episode "Raincoats"

There's an episode in Seinfeld where Kramer and Jerry's dad Morty decide to go into business together selling men's raincoats. Morty, before retiring, sold raincoats for 35 years. Kramer liked the 'old look' of the raincoats and thought the look was fashionable. So a partnership was formed in which Kramer would get a 25% commission for every coat sold. So Kramer takes the coats all around NY pitching the 'in vogue' coats. He finally finds a guy who will buy all the coats. So Kramer tells George all about the partnership and all the work he's done thus far. George asks how much commission Kramer's getting and when Kramer says "25%," George cries that Kramer's getting ripped off because he's doing ALL of the legwork. Kramer goes into his typical spaz routine and agrees with George that 25% is not enough because he *is* doing all the legwork.


Legwork is very important. Legwork comprises of accomplishing little tasks necessary to complete the big picture. Can't sell raincoats without customers. Gotta go round up some customers. SOMEONE's gotta do the legwork. But legwork can't work as a one-way street. There's gotta be reciprocation or the legman will get fed up and quit. Morty and Kramer disagreed with the percentage. Morty wanted 15% and Kramer wanted 35%. They settled on 25%. Do you think Kramer would do all the legwork for nothing? Yeah, no way.


Where the hell am I going with this? I'm about to tell you. I, like Kramer, am doing ALL the legwork lately when it comes this so-called dating game. The frustrating part is that there is virtually no reciprocation going on, and I am tired and worn out from it. I know I know, speak English, man.


OK here's the thing. I've had lots of IM, email, and phone call conversations with women online. The banter's good and friendships develop, right? It's even progressed to actual dates. But one day I realized that I was the one who always initiated the contact. These women rarely, if ever, even initiated a 'hello.' Why should I be the one to always be the initiator? Because I'm a guy? Personally, I like it when a woman shows some initiative, if you can call it that. I'm not asking that they initiate the actual date, a simple email "hello what's up" would do. So I decided I'd try a little experiment. I would cease and desist all communications and see if anyone would contact me. I wanted to know if anyone out there liked me enough and thought of me enough to say hi.


Survey says? No one has written. Amazing. Sure it may just be a SJNTIY thing. Whatever the case, I've decided to cancel my membership after seven months. I might go back, but I need a break. I guess the friends I thought I had weren't really friends after all. I'm OK with it because I'm tired of wasting my time with people who actually don't give a shit. Sure we're all busy, but that's a lousy excuse. I don't think a little reciprocation is too much to ask from the other side, do you? Of course if you're not interested even in friendship, then I guess you're just not interested plain and simple. Remember girls, communication is a two-way street. Besides, aren't you always preaching you WANT communication from us guys???