D is for Deadbeat

The title of this blogpost sounds like a title in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series... Yep, I just checked my bookshelf and it IS the title of her "D" book. Since you (or, more specifically, Sue) can't copyright a title, I'm keeping it for this blogpost.

If you're interested in another "D" blog feature, feel free to drop in at my personal blog ... it's a humorous anecdote.

My mind has wandered down the path to numbering the type and manner of Deadbeats in this world. (No, I'm not going to share why.) Here are the sort I've either run into or heard of:

The Deadbeat who hates to pay bills, or can't pay them on time and chooses to play sneaky, snarky games--like writing out checks to the electric company and the phone company, but mailing them to the other place. I don't know about you, but after the 2nd time this happens, I'm going to realize what the deadbeat is up to. I bet the electric and phone companies have, too.

The Deadbeat who doesn't pay child support because s/he wants to stick it to the ex. Helllooo...like the kids aren't going to suffer more from neglect and living with a stressed-out parent than the ex is going to suffer?

The Deadbeat who talks trash about other people and doesn't realize that NO ONE  trusts him or her. When you're doing business with someone and she trash-talks another customer, does she really believe you believe she's not going to trash-talk YOU the minute you're out the door?

The Deadbeat writer who, at a critique group, asks a fellow member of the group to refrain from reading her work (erotica) aloud and cites her religious beliefs as the reason she can't listen to the other member or allow her to participate. (Yes, everyone writes in different genres and everyone knew what everyone else wrote before joining.)  Helllooo... how, as a writer, can you not understand and respect the First Amendment? How can you actually believe your right to practice your religion is more important than the other writer's right to participate in the critique group? How can you not choose to be respectful by stepping out of the room while she's reading her excerpt so as not to infringe upon her rights instead of demanding that she be respectful of your rights by not participating?

When we think of Deadbeats, we usually think of people who don't pay money. In my mind, Deadbeats are stingy, selfish, and focused on one thing: themselves.

What's your definition of Deadbeat?