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Helpless

HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
edited December 2011 in Everything Else
If you were out having fun (vacation) and something terrible happened at home (something that your presence at home would not fix or improve) would you want to be notified right away or when you get back? As an added bonus there is no way to speed up your return.

Comments

  • Anthony HemanAnthony Heman
    Would I like to have knowledge of something, even if I am impotent in all regards to it?

    Certainly. Every time. Even the most horrible of horrible things.
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    Even the most horrible of horrible things.
    Even Cthulhu? Knowledge of him will drive you mad.

  • Anthony HemanAnthony Heman
    Especially Cthulhu.
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    Especially Cthulhu.
    There are some things too horrible for mere men to know.

  • Anthony HemanAnthony Heman
    There are some things too horrible for mere men to know.
    I drink of this madness.
  • CremlianCremlian
    Most of the time, I can handle news of things I have no control over, but I know my wife would be freaking out the whole time.
  • theknoxinatortheknoxinator
    I would prefer to know right away. It might make the vacation or whatever less enjoyable, but it would soften the impact later on.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    If there is nothing I can do about it and can't get back any faster I'd rather not be informed ahead of time. I'd just be miserable from feeling helpless.
  • ChurbaChurba
    edited December 2011
    Yeah, I'd want to be told. For example, If it's something where a personal touch would be appreciated, then I'd want to know so I could at least call, or something like my house burning down, I'd want to know so I could start making alternate arrangements for when I got back. And really, it wouldn't ruin my holiday, I've sorted myself out so that I don't stress much about things that I can't influence - if my being there wouldn't help or hinder, then my being away isn't going to make a difference to it, and I might as well chill out, and enjoy myself before I have to go deal with it. Worst comes to worst, then I'll just do a fuckin' Christopher Skase.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • gomidoggomidog
    Yes, I would want to know. It would give me the time to prepare myself. I would be upset, but it would speed up coping, and help me be able to deal with the aftermath when I returned.
  • CremlianCremlian
    If there is nothing I can do about it and can't get back any faster I'd rather not be informed ahead of time. I'd just be miserable from feeling helpless.
    I find helplessness rather freeing truthfully. I'm really into always thinking I can solve or find a solution to everything, so when I realize I can't do anything about it. It's almost a stress relief.

  • Dr. TimoDr. Timo
    ... something terrible happened at home (something that your presence at home would not fix or improve) ...
    I am at a loss as to what you might be referring to. Either you consider trivial things, such as the dishwasher breaking or the toilet blocking up (both of which may not be significantly improved by your presence), to be "terrible" or you are just a bad, bad person if in a tragedy your presence does not improve matters.

    What kind of a situation do you have in mind that is both terrible and that you can not in any way improve by your presence?

    If you meant to simply ask the question of "If you have no way to get back home, would you like to be told beforehand?" then the answer is obviously yes, since even simple commiseration at a distance, the fact that someone else cares, is of value to those in the middle of the tragedy. Also in this modern day and age not physically being somewhere is hardly an obstacle to helping out. Most serious tragedies involve a lot of communication with lots of third parties and contingency planning which one can participate in via the interweb or even phone lines.
  • BronzdragonBronzdragon
    What kind of a situation do you have in mind that is both terrible and that you can not in any way improve by your presence?
    Dead cat.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    What kind of a situation do you have in mind that is both terrible and that you can not in any way improve by your presence?
    Dead cat.
    Stolen car, small fire in house... the idea is that someone trusted is at home that can do whatever needs to be done .

  • Dr. TimoDr. Timo
    Dead cat.
    Stolen car, small fire in house... the idea is that someone trusted is at home that can do whatever needs to be done .
    Yes, that is called dealing with stuff that happened, not a "something terrible happened" ;-).

    I think you are trying to weasel yourself out of my criticisim by trying to home in on the worst thing that could happen and yet not really require your presence.

    The quality of the suggestions so far just illustrate my point.

  • Anthony HemanAnthony Heman
    What if your presence would cause harm?
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I guess the overall question I am asking is which would make you feel worse. Having your vacation ruined by the stress of knowing that something bad has happened that you are unable to make better or the impact of coming home to find something bad has happened while you were out having fun.
  • AndouReiyaAndouReiya
    I'd rather know at once. I don't care if I can't help, but I'd rather know than be blissfully ignorant. That's what happened when I learned that my cat Yato died while I was in college
  • highdefinitionhighdefinition
    What if your home town was destroyed by a meteor from Klendathu
  • ChurbaChurba
    What if your home town was destroyed by a meteor from Klendathu
    I'd be on the bounce. Grab my Powered Armor and fuck up some bugs.
  • Jack DraigoJack Draigo
    Tell me ASAP, but it won't affect my vacation.
  • RymRym
    I'll always choose a painful truth over ignorance.
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    If you were out having fun (vacation) and something terrible happened at home (something that your presence at home would not fix or improve) would you want to be notified right away or when you get back? As an added bonus there is no way to speed up your return.
    Let me parse the situation:

    1) I am away on vacation.
    2) No matter what, I cannot return home before my scheduled return date.
    3) Something terrible happens in the middle of that vacation.
    4) My presence at home would not effect the outcome of that terrible thing.

    I would prefer to know during the vacation, because then I would be prepared for whatever I find at home. I am not fond of "SURPRISE! HERE'S SOME BULLSHIT!" when I get back from vacation.

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