My emotional stuggle with conventionalism

I never expected that my RSVP comments would get such feedback. I didn't realize at the time of this post that I actually had a few e-vites out there. Trust me, my intention was not to guilt you guys into responding, but I am glad that you did because I am still short a few people for our girls night out.

So all you ladies and gentleman out there in cyberland, can you help me out a bit? I need your opinion. Am I being totally emotional and blowing this anger/frustration way out of proportion? Read story below:

Being somewhat of an exercise fanatic, I thought that it would be fun to get a group of friends together to take one of these pole dancing classes offered at a local gym. No, I am not preparing for my next career. Rather I thought it would be good for a laugh, some exercise and a night out without the kids. What I didn't expect was all the negativity that this event would conjure up in people. Some people were a little hesitant to do this at first, but chilled out a bit when I told them that a) you would be fully clothed and b) you would be among friends who will not laugh at you because they will be too busy laughing at themselves. So with a bit of arm twisting, a few rigidly conventional ladies gave in. (I was actually really proud of them for doing something that would take them out of their comfort zone).

Anyway, the big deal for me is that I am the organizer and I have several hundred dollars charged to my credit card as a deposit based on the women who told me that they would participate. Now these rigidly conventional ladies are backing out. I don't know if I am more upset about having to eat their portion of the deposit or upset because I didn't realize how uptight some of my friends could be. Honestly, I think that it is the latter.

Is that too harsh a judgement? I feel like a terrible person for being angry with someone for their conventionalism. Should I just suck it up or surround myself with more non-conformist friends?

To RSVP or not, chain letters, etc.

I know that I have been guilty of throwing away an invitation and forgetting to call and respond whether I plan to attend such function or not; however, are there really any excuses for not responding to an e-vite these days? C'mon people, the host can see who has viewed the invitation and honestly, if you have time to view the invite, you have time to respond. Ok, so it so happens you might have a conflict. How hard is it to mark the maybe box or even e-mail the host and explain your situation?

Let's say you just don't want to go to this function. A simple mark the no I will not attend box works and you can move on with your life. As a hostess, I would much rather have a no in the box than wonder if you might or might not show up (especially when I am a) planning a meal and b) need to make seating assignments.

Speaking of the e-world. Does this same thing apply to chain letters? I am not sure what Miss Manners would say, but I cannot stomach chain letters and especially the ones that end up on my door. Where is the chain letter resurgence coming from and why did I get three requests last month? No, my son does not need to join a sticker club, I don't need any more dish towels or any used books. Thanks for thinking of me, but I refuse to send this on to someone who feels guilted into participating. By the way, I also chose not to let you know I was not forwarding them on. I am sure that I am not the only one.

Did I catch the funk?

As is the case on most mornings, I was running behind this morning on my way to work and was thrilled to get a great parking spot relatively close to the elevator. I thought to myself this is going to be a good day, but that sort of changed as I descended in the elevator. Not only did I hit every floor on the way down to my building, but everyone who entered the elevator looked so angry. I decided to play a little game and smile and say hello to everyone. I passed 6 people on my way in and not one person acknowledged my smile or hello. So what's up folks?

I was talking with a colleague about this because she mentioned something similar in her office. She thought that the economy might have everyone in a funk. Who knows? I can tell you that because of this economy, I am having to do more with my job because we cannot afford to hire an executive director or assistant. Therefore I am overwhelmed with the amount of work that I have to do with no extra pay. I love my job and actually enjoy the work, but I am stressed out -- stressed out the point that when I got to my car this evening, I finally broke down a cried.

Please tell me I am not alone. Also, I am curious to find out if you see areas of your life which have changed due to the state of our economy? What are you cutting back on? How has it affected you?

I would love to know that I am not alone, so please share your story if you have time.