Recipes for Hungry Ghosts

More workshifts for the poor unfair

Economic injustice injures in many ways. One of the more inexcusable ways is the idea of “work study” or “work scholarships” for poor people who cannot otherwise attend a the cost of admission to a cultural or learning event. The (often liberal) folks who set up these “opportunities” for impoverished people who can’t afford to attend their events should instead assign the workshift to one of the economically privileged people attending the event so as to avoid further burdening the economically disadvantaged. Until the revolution …

Recipe for Narcissistic Hungry Ghost on Craigslist

Beautiful Dresse for Junior for Prom, Sweet 16 or Quinceneara (Peekskill)Date: 2010-02-19, 3:31PM EST
Reply to: sale-nngnq-1608518744@craigslist.org

Offer: beautiful dress. light purple with shawl and beading on top- Beautiful- size 18. I will send pictures upon request but I would like a good description as to why you or this youth deserves this dress. The reason why I do this is because, I grew up with nothing. As a teenager I always longed to have that beautiful dress and go to prom or have a sweet 16. I did go to prom with the help of my best friend, but I did not have a sweet 16. I now have my own Wedding & Events Planning business and I truly want this dress to go to someone who really, really needs it. This dress is dry cleaned.

Thank you, Melissa

Dear Melissa,

I understand why you would want to experience the joy of giving something of value to somebody deserving, but working out your personal issues through a Craigslist “free” listing lies somewhere between uncool and embarrassing for everyone involved, including this reader of your ad. A potential recipient just wants the dress. You are putting conditions on the dress giving that makes it your own personal therapy session. That’s a high price for a recipient to pay and the dress is no longer truly “free.”

I don’t mean to be cruel in any way. I do think you might want to reconsider your motives for the conditions you are putting on the “free” dress so that someone “deserving” doesn’t have to perform a dance of gratitude for you in order to obtain the dress from you. - RHG