FINALLY......THE ADMISSION
For all of you who are true fans of SLIWT I love ya’s. For those who loathe me, yet can’t keep away or stop yourselves from hanging on my every word by logging in here every day, I have something to explain, because some people just aren’t getting me at all.
Last night I had a note card dropped on me. It was a copy of an email sent by a representative from Make –a-Wish, with the full total of money raised and sent. The person who dropped it thought they were showing me something I didn’t already know. Surely there are a few people who would know I am just not that stupid. I will admit, I didnt think id have saw what I saw so quickly. I had estimated a week for it, especially when my comments box was filling up with contact numbers.
I had to sit back and take it all in, but not that I was shocked the money had been sent to MAW, because I knew this a long time ago. I went back and read my article again, to try and work out why some people were confused by it. I tried to understand why some people would think for one millisecond, that I would have let someone get away with not giving over money to a charity if I knew about it in April or May. Do some of you really think I wouldn’t have been checking that out? Let me just say that I already knew the money had made its way to MAW. I knew the dates it was sent and I knew the amounts. If it hadn’t been sent, believe me, you would have been reading all about it in May not October.
I was surprised by how the article had divided people and how people had read it differently to others. Some assumed, it was a direct attack on Ruby, and they saw me accusing her of theft. Some saw it how it was intended to be seen, but for those who didn’t I will try to explain. I will be using excerpts from my previous column as guidelines, for all of you who struggle with being able to keep up.
“She detailed that an arrangement was in place, that the money would go to the charity in 3 lump sums. ONE SUM ONLY of $2500USD had been sent and Ruby told me that the other TWO sums would be sent as soon as possible and that all would be documented.”
Most people know me by now, so most will know that I wouldn’t have let this drop without following up and making sure that the rest of the money made its way to its intended destination. So writing an article and THEN investigating wouldn’t have even been my style. I had no doubt that Ruby would send the rest of the money to MAW, as Ruby isn’t stupid and I knew she knew fine well I would be checking. This is why she didn’t document the final transfers on her Flickr. She would have rather died than show it. This would have meant her feeling like she was somehow being forced to do so. As long as it was sent, I really didn’t care about Ruby’s diva attitude issues, it was not my concern. As for finding out how much was actually raised, this proved to be an impossible task-even for me. With no donation transactions having been kept, there would never be a way to find out. I asked a few people if the total of approx 7kusd was sufficient and it was agreed all was as it should be. So the matter was dropped.
“Dishing out divaesque attitude for 4 months will do nothing for your reputation, especially when a simple few transaction screenshots would have been all it took.”
There is something in some people that makes them too proud sometimes to admit they are wrong, have behaved wrongly or misjudged something. It’s that whole ‘why should I show people’ attitude that caused this whole mess in the first place. Just to let you all see how I see this let me ask you all a question. If you were responsible for making sure money made its way to a charity, would you behave like a diva and just totally refuse to answer questions until forced to? More importantly, would you shame your own name, when you know you haven’t done anything wrong for the sake of your Pride? Would you be issuing others with phone numbers of a charity, to check your credibility and reputation for themselves, when you have the information they require the whole time?
“My agenda was to make sure that the money made its way to the charity it was intended for.”
When I was contacted by a lot of concerned residents back in late March of this year, I overlooked the fact that they said Ruby was a bit of a bitch. That didn’t concern me, as I would never judge someone who I didn’t know; my main focus was on the charity money, which appeared very blatantly to be missing. People don’t realise how often I help people without a story coming out of it. Believe me, if anyone can find $7k in missing money or get answers from someone who is being difficult, it would be me.
For all of you who still assume I had another agenda, ask yourselves why I didn’t write about it at the time back in March?
“I could tell why so many people had hit a brick wall with Ruby while trying to get information, because she really didn’t see what the big deal was.”
As I mentioned before, there was people who had donated lots of money and couldn’t obtain receipts that Ruby was supposed to be supplying. I don’t know if it’s just me and how I think, but I am sure someone somewhere will be asking how those people found out the money wasn’t at MAW.
Between the event in December of 2008 and February of 2009, people had begun wondering about their receipts and of course began to ask Ruby for them. Messages where ignored and people who had donated money got treated like shit. Sometimes when this happens intelligent individuals think outside of the box and they take matters into their own hands. To obtain receipts for their donations, they contacted MAW themselves, only to be told that no money had been received. Now, what would you do if you heard this? All hell broke loose and eventually on March 27th the first payment was sent. Did you read about here? No, you didn’t.
To blame me or anyone else for tarnishing a reputation, is very bizarre when you look at the facts or the length of time this was all kept quiet for really. I much prefer to see how much rope a person needs to hang themselves than give them 15 mins here. Being professional, upfront about transaction problems and conversing with people would have been enough save a reputation.
“My plan was working just how I wanted it to work......”
“I decided that rather than contact Ruby directly, I was going to post something that would get Ruby to contact me directly.”
“I had just psychologically played with her.....”
For all of you who misunderstood my last article, I hope now you understand what it was all about and you see the hidden purpose of it. I knew the whole time that Ruby held the information that most wanted. I knew all the money had reached MAW. It was when I heard she was still refusing to give information about whether or not the remainder of the money had been sent that I got frustrated. I couldn’t believe she hadn’t learned her lesson first time around.
It’s true that some people need to gentle manipulation to give up info but sometimes it doesn’t work, and then a more extreme measure is needed. Some people need to be psychologically dragged of their imaginary soapbox, by the back of the neck and virtually slapped until they do. Its extreme I know, but it works.
As I said before some don’t like to admit flaws or faults. They don’t like being forced to do something and that is why you all saw the “Why should I?” or the very schoolgirl-esque “I don’t have to explain myself to anyone” tantrum. Or the “Phone this number and find out yourselves” statement. I’d much rather someone stood up and showed us themselves and that is exactly what happened, and that is what I got. Ruby showed the information herself and that is something she would have probably died rather than do.
“It’s widely known in many circles that Ruby doesn’t like me much and slag’s me off when she gets the chance. She doesn’t realise that most people tell me and then ask me why someone could loathe me so much and yet when they are asked why, Ruby says “Just because...”
Do I need to say anything more on that? I’d hate me too. At least now everyone will know why. Being forced to do something twice, without realising you are doing it, by the same person must sting, but it had to be done.
“Let it be known that if you are responsible for large amounts of charity money and you refuse to explain or show the where-about of that money, it is inevitable that people will assume the worst. Dishing out divaesque attitude for 4 months will do nothing for your reputation, especially when a simple few transaction screenshots would have been all it took.”
I rest my case.
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