If You Don’t Look After The Small Fry You’ll Lose The Big Ones

When I was in law school I went to a bar with a bunch of law school students and decided I wanted a cigarette. I went outside and a whole bunch of girls are smoking. I don’t like to bum cigarettes, but I had a free small fry coupon from McDonald’s.

Me: “Hi, I have this coupon for a free small fry. You can see it’s still valid. I’ll swap this for a cigarette.”

Girl: “Just one cigarette?”

Me: “Yes.”

Girl: “Okay.”

I hand it to her, but then she won’t give me a cigarette.

Girl: “You shouldn’t be so trusting.”

And with that, she flounces off with her friends.

Flash forward a few months, and I’m the first call (GA) for the IT for a division in our university, which includes administration. I go up to replace a computer and see the same girl; she is waiting in line for a job interview. I go up to the person who is conducting the interviews (I am their IT person too) and tell them the story.

She didn’t get the job.