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Have you ever tried to be/do something for someone only to be refused/avoided? Sometimes, our kind of help is not always desired.

I see this happen quite a few times. Rejected help. It's a thing.

It happened to me. It happened to other people too.

And I guess, there were also times when I myself rejected help offers from others, or when I myself did the avoiding.

People may have different reasons why they do it. Sometimes, they feel they don't need the help. Sometimes, the offering hand doesn't feel sincere. Sometimes, they just don't want to owe anybody anything. Sometimes, they are influenced by other people and won't accept the help because it will make them lose favor from another. For others, maybe pride? For some others, maybe it's a matter of principle? It is not easy to tell. Sometimes when people explain, they don't even tell the truth. Sometimes, they mean it. Sometimes, it's because they just don't realize the true reason behind.

In your own stories, what was the reason? How did it happen and how did you react to it? Were you the one whose help got rejected? Or were you the one who rejected another person's supposedly helping hand? What did you feel and what was your next step? Do you still maintain close relation with the other person? Did they lose your favor? Or did you lose theirs? Are you alright with how things are now?
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SW-User
Once long ago my girlfriend and I wanted to replace an old washing line outside the flat, which was a top floor rented from an old lady who lived downstairs. The washing line was metal and very rusted and soiled anything hung on it. We bought a brand new.plastic line and feeling sorry for the old lady we replaced hers which was in just as bad a condition.

The old lady went ballistic! Demanded her old line back! We rescued it from the bin and rehung it, rusted and bent.

I sometimes think of this and yes, we were wrong to just assume.
Casheyane · 31-35, F
@SW-User Maybe it has sentimental value to her. Maybe someone she loved dearly made it, and that is why she reacted so violently.

Did she ever tell? Did you ever get to know her reasoning?
SW-User
@Casheyane No, we were not there much longer. I just came to think she simply wanted to be asked, that our presumption simply made her feel invisible and of no consequence - "oh, I'm old and don't matter".
Casheyane · 31-35, F
@SW-User Oh. I see.

On the bright side, it's a lesson learned. I hope you and your partner, and the granny are all living well.
SW-User
@Casheyane Well, it was a long time ago. Granny must be long gone, and my dear wife of 45 years is not the girlfriend I had then - but we do still exchange Christmas cards, she in Australia and I in the UK (the then girlfriend, not my wife.......😀)