In Reverse

Thinking in reverse can sometimes move things along.

Like playing the lottery. If it’s true that people who win the lottery generally say that it ruins their lives, then playing the lottery is a pretty good way to be sure you’ll stay happy, since you probably won’t win anytime soon anyway.

And the advice I gave my brother about possibly buying a falling-down house next to his in order to fix it up: Just go to the property auction and tell the other bidders, “Look, you each just pay me $500 and I’ll buy the place so you won’t have to deal with the headache.”

And the sale I just made on my workplace’s county wide classifieds listserv: I’d posted the item several weeks ago, for $150. Then I reduced it to $125, and then to $100, all for neither bites nor nibbles. Then I decided to do the obvious, and in the ad I wrote: “New increased price due to high level of non-interest: $110.” The buyer contacted me within hours, and practiced horrible bargaining skills: “It’s not a deal breaker, but would you take $100 for it?” I politely said no and offered to contact them in a week should it not sell. “No,” she wrote back. “I’ll take it.”

As I asked M the other day, “Don’t you think I think I’m funny?” 


(She agreed.)