Summary

A person recounts the experience of purchasing rodeo tickets for their partner, confronting unexpected price increases and reflecting on the unintentional guilt-tripping that ensued.

Abstract

The narrative describes the annual tradition of gifting rodeo tickets, complicated this year by a significant price hike and limited seat availability. The author, tasked with procuring the tickets, faces a moral dilemma between purchasing affordable single seats or more expensive seats together to maintain companionship during the event. Despite the financial strain, the author opts for the latter, consciously using the cost as a means to induce guilt, which later prompts self-reflection and a resolution to change the approach for future events. The story concludes with a reconciliation and a lesson learned about the dynamics of guilt and forgiveness in relationships.

Opinions

The author initially believes they are not trying to hurt their partner but later acknowledges a subconscious intent to guilt them.
There is frustration directed at the rodeo association's ticket pricing strategy and the secondary market that inflates ticket prices.
The author expresses regret for allowing their "dark side" to influence their actions and for making their partner feel guilty about the ticket cost.
The partner is perceived as having contributed to the situation by delaying the decision on which performance to attend and not communicating about ticket availability in a timely manner.
The author plans to preemptively purchase and reselling tickets at a higher price next year, indicating a shift in perspective on the ticket resale market.
Despite the conflict, the author values the relationship and is committed to improving their approach to gift-giving and communication for future events.

I Wasn’t Consciously Trying To Make Her Feel Guilty. Unconsciously, It Was Premeditated.

I don’t try to hurt her, some things just come naturally.

Photo by Daniel Lloyd Blunk-Fernández on Unsplash

Tis’ the season of love and giving

It’s Christmas, again. The tradition is that Santa brings rodeo tickets for her. I am Santa’s chief elf in our house, so it is up to me to order the tickets. It’s never been an issue. Starting prices for rodeo tickets for my neck of the woods cost $30 each. Two tickets with the Ticketmaster processing fee and taxes would run about $75. That’s what it has been forever. There was no reason to suspect anything different this year.

She wanted the Tim McGraw Saturday night show. The rodeo website had only $30 seats for singletons and doubles minimum of $105. I reported that Santa is on a budget this year but could split the cost evenly.

She said to check the afternoon performance. She had seen plenty of double $30 seats when she had viewed the offerings.

I got tied up last night, so I checked online this morning. I found nearly the same situation for the afternoon matinee I had seen for the evening performance. However, I was able to find two $68 tickets together.

The difficulty; do I report to her the $30 singletons or spring $38 more per ticket for two seats together? I love her, so I opted for two seats at $68 each. With tax and Ticketmaster processing fees, the total came to $165.

Resentment sets in

$83 each for nosebleed seats in the rafters! Hijole! Done. No cancelation. No refund. She was going to the rodeo.

The only couples tickets available were on resale tickets. Resale tickets are those that a prior customer bought then put up for resale at a higher price. Someone bought my $30 tickets and reposted them for $68 each.

Why did she wait so late to tell me what performance she wanted? I asked her six weeks ago. She said the performers weren’t filled in. She wanted to wait. Someone probably bought the seats blind, not knowing who the headliner would be, and reposted them for sale on speculation. By the time I looked for seats, the only basic seats were singletons. You might ask when was it she saw doubles at the introductory price. She says she looked a month ago. She never told me.

Unconscious guilt projected

I texted her to check her email. I forwarded the tickets to her. I also told her Santa didn’t like how the rodeo association sells tickets and will not be getting her tickets next year.

Later I stopped by her room. She had not checked her email or text message. I told her Santa had gotten the matinee tickets and how much they cost.

Analyzing my unconscious

I looked at the matinee choices. I was irritated; I had limited options, she waited until the last minute, and the seats cost a bunch more than I planned. Yet, Santa had promised two months ago to provide rodeo tickets. I bought the tickets. That was a deliberate act of guilting her.

Pointing out how much they cost was a deliberate act of guilting her. My subconscious knew what it was doing.

Her response to me getting the tickets she wanted was to say she felt guilty for the cost of the tickets, and any $30 performer would have been fine. She has learned the art of projecting guilt well.

I felt terrible. I let my dark side get the better of me, and now I’m sad about how I treated her.

I’ve learned three things from this experience.

Next year, Santa’s elf and she will order rodeo tickets together.
I feel rotten, and she has tickets to the rodeo.
Next year, I’m going to buy two tickets to the Saturday night show early and repost those puppies for four times the price I paid for them.

Addendum to the story

We’ve both recovered. Her happy, bouncy persona has returned, and I feel money is in this story. It’s time to publish.

Disclosure: This story has been edited by Grammarly.com

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I Wasn’t Consciously Trying To Make Her Feel Guilty. Unconsciously, It Was Premeditated.

I don’t try to hurt her, some things just come naturally.

Tis’ the season of love and giving

Resentment sets in

Unconscious guilt projected

Analyzing my unconscious

I’ve learned three things from this experience.

Addendum to the story

Where can I get some proper spotted dick?

English speakers from abroad may need some help translating their English

John Didn’t Come To Work Today. He’s Under The Weather.

Learning these idioms will make sailing smoother for learning English.