Dear Karma Cleanser:
My friend Angie who I only see a few times a year was visiting my town on vacation. She was having problems with the batteries in her camera, so my husband offered to let her use our camera for the weekend. When the weekend was over, she gave the camera back.
Later, my husband was downloading the pictures from the camera, and he realized that Angie had left her memory card in it by mistake. We didn’t mean to invade her privacy, but all of sudden we were seeing dozens of birthday party photos, casual pictures of her and her boyfriend at home, naked baby pictures, and one or two that I know she would not want anyone else to see.
My husband says we should throw away the memory card and never tell her we found it. I think that would seriously wreck my karma with this formerly good friend. But we also want our memory card back.
Burned into Memory
Have you been watching Desperate Housewives this season? When Lynette and Tom accidentally discovered their neighbors’ homemade porn DVD, they promptly confronted the couple and tried to normalize the awkward situation. Of course, things only got worse, and then Bree killed that sleezeball George. But we digress. Simply never tell Angie you saw her photos. Mail her the memory card with a short note saying you thought it was hers, and ask if she can do you the same favor in return. If she ever brings it up again, play dumb.
Dear Karma Cleanser:
This is why I hate the holidays. I nearly gave myself an ulcer trying to get out a stack of holiday cards, and had to stand in line for 45 minutes at the post office just to meet the deadline of sending the last few stragglers. The very next day, when I got home from the office I had a package waiting for me from a former business contact who I now only see sporadically. Of course, this is one person I did not send a card to. If I send a card now, it’s obviously just going to be out of guilt, and clear that this person was not on my original list. If I don’t send a card, my “Christmas Karma” is spoiled, and that 45 minutes in line was for nothing. Humbug!
Better Luck Next Year
Maybe the gift basket does prove your concept of “Christmas Karma,” and was a gesture from the universe to reward you for suffering through the post office trauma. Anyway, don’t insult the basket sender by responding with a holiday card, which by now would be way overdue anyway. A simple thank you card will do.
Been bad? karmacleanser@gmail.com.
This article appears in Dec 28, 2005 – Jan 3, 2006.
