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Don't let people have their cake and eat it too

If there's something about me that has never once changed over the years, it's this:

I despise being thwarted for something I want from someone, and then seeing the person come around when they feel like -- acting as if nothing happened. It's a classic case of having their cake and eating it too.

I've gone through this on several occasions with different friends. They may disappear for weeks, never bothering to answer or return my calls. Then, out of the blue, they decide to awaken from their slumber and reestablish contact, and I'm supposed to act like all is swell. I don't think so!

And their excuses have bordered on the ludicrous, saying that they've been stressed or that they keep forgetting to respond.

It's ironic how once I see them showing interest again (e.g., calling and texting), it is then I go into "payback" mode and call them at my convenience, not necessarily when they attempt to reach out to me.

And here's an example I've cited earlier: In my senior year of high school, I had a fling with a girl who insisted she didn't want a serious relationship. Yet, it didn't bother her too much to keep me around for attention, as I would flatter her with compliments and gifts. There I was, hoping she would change her mind, but she didn't budge while we were still high school students.

Once we graduated, she had a sudden change of heart and decided she was ready for a serious commitment. By that point, I was tired of waiting and had decided I wanted to test my options in college, where I expected to find a fresh crop of bachelorettes. In the end, I did not want her to get her way. Whether it was pride or something else, I wanted her to learn the hard way that you don't always get what you want -- when you want it -- in life.

I hate when people try to get what they want out of a relationship -- when they want it -- with little regard for the other person's feelings. It just isn't fair, and two can play at that game. I've observed that the ones who tend to act this way are, for the most part, selfish and deceptive. Chances are they don't care as much about the relationship as you do.

While this approach may strike some people as childish or vindictive, you can't let people get off too easily or else they'll just do it again and again. Sometimes in life, you need to put a stop to people's antics by setting your foot down and playing a little tit for tat.

Do two wrongs make a right? No, but sometimes it's the only way to get through to some people.
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