When SB was a teenager he went with his sister on a white water rafting trip with his school. On the first day when the students were unloading their packs from the rafts he grabbed all of the family luggage that he was using and went to his tent. Meanwhile the rest of the rafters unloaded their stuff and his sister remained at the rafts looking for her missing pack. A search was conducted to see if anyone had accidentally taken her pack but no one had it. His poor sister was forced to spend the entire week in her bathing suit and one change of clothing.
SB spent the week carrying a large number of packs, one of which he never had the need to even open as everything he needed was in the other packs. Now if you have figured out the conclusion to this tale, I will tell you that just about everyone who heard this tale from SB or his sister also drew the same conclusion. SB had taken his sister's pack and somehow never made the connection during any of the multiple times that his sister searched for her missing stuff.
To this day his sister believes that he could not possibly have been that oblivious but was being a very devious older brother. He swears to me that this was not the case and that in his feeble brain he registered that the packs belonged to his family and thereby him, and the thought of any of them also being his sister's missing pack never crossed his mind. Years ago, upon hearing the tale, I was inclined to agree with his sister. I questioned him about whether he could have done so subconsciously at least. Now after living with him for so long, I believe him.
It is almost unbelievable that someone who exhibits vast intellectual knowledge can be such a dumbass but it is the truth. We never share a backpack when hiking because at some point he manages to forget what each of us packed and will eat and drink everything in the pack. On two of his trips back home he took some of my clothing instead of his so that on one occasion I was forced to attend a rugby club event in his much bigger polo, which looked like a dress on me. I called him up then and there, waking him since it was 3am where he was, and ripped into him for repeating what he had done previously even though I had asked him to check that he wasn't taking my clothing.
Part of the problem is that he is so sure that he is in the right. Because he is never wrong. Until he is wrong. And then he is sorry. Mr. Oblivious.
SB spent the week carrying a large number of packs, one of which he never had the need to even open as everything he needed was in the other packs. Now if you have figured out the conclusion to this tale, I will tell you that just about everyone who heard this tale from SB or his sister also drew the same conclusion. SB had taken his sister's pack and somehow never made the connection during any of the multiple times that his sister searched for her missing stuff.
To this day his sister believes that he could not possibly have been that oblivious but was being a very devious older brother. He swears to me that this was not the case and that in his feeble brain he registered that the packs belonged to his family and thereby him, and the thought of any of them also being his sister's missing pack never crossed his mind. Years ago, upon hearing the tale, I was inclined to agree with his sister. I questioned him about whether he could have done so subconsciously at least. Now after living with him for so long, I believe him.
It is almost unbelievable that someone who exhibits vast intellectual knowledge can be such a dumbass but it is the truth. We never share a backpack when hiking because at some point he manages to forget what each of us packed and will eat and drink everything in the pack. On two of his trips back home he took some of my clothing instead of his so that on one occasion I was forced to attend a rugby club event in his much bigger polo, which looked like a dress on me. I called him up then and there, waking him since it was 3am where he was, and ripped into him for repeating what he had done previously even though I had asked him to check that he wasn't taking my clothing.
Part of the problem is that he is so sure that he is in the right. Because he is never wrong. Until he is wrong. And then he is sorry. Mr. Oblivious.
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