I was at my cousin's wedding last weekend, and my aunt pulls me aside to look at her car. She had a dent from a shopping cart, and she wanted me to check it out right then. I'm in a suit, at a wedding, and she's showing me her bumper. I tried to be nice, said I could give her a quote on Monday, but she kept pushing for a 'family discount'. It's so awkward because I don't want to be rude, but this is how I make a living. I have costs for materials and time, you know? It's not like I can just wave a wand and make it perfect. Plus, doing favors for family always leads to more favors. Now my uncle texted me about his truck's paint chip. It never ends.
Why do family always do this at events? I totally get it, my cousin asked me to check his engine noise during my dad's retirement dinner. I was in a dress and heels, not my work clothes. He even had a video ready on his phone to show me. Now I dread holidays because someone always has a "quick question" about their car. It really never ends.
That part about dreading holidays because someone always has a "quick question" hits so close to home, @barbaraanderson. It's like once people know you can fix things, they stop seeing you as a person and just see a free service call. You get the video ready on the phone at a dinner, and I get texts with pictures of busted thermostats during birthday parties. Why do we have to be "on" just because we're in the same room? It turns what should be a nice time into another work shift you didn't agree to.
After my grandma's funeral, my uncle asked me to fix his tablet right there. It's like @barbaraanderson's engine noise video, where family thinks every gathering is a free repair shop. I guess we should start wearing "off duty" signs to these things.