Fridge Fiasco: The Grudge Against the Gadget
Ah, the humble refrigerator! It’s the unsung hero of our kitchens, silently keeping our food fresh and drinks chilled. But who knew it could be the source of so much drama and emotional turmoil? Gather ’round, dear readers, for today’s intriguing story pulled straight from the depths of Reddit’s ‘Am I The Asshole’ forum. This time, it’s about a mother, a son, and a love affair… with a broken fridge.
Our protagonist – let’s call him Mr. Fix-It – has dealt with his mother’s dilapidated fridge for years. Now, we’re not talking about just any fridge. No, ma’am. This ancient LG fridge, which has been nothing but a colossal pain in the derriere, sat uselessly in their kitchen for more years than I care to count. Mr. Fix-It came to the rescue once when it broke down after a power surge. But again, like a recurring nightmare, the fridge folded under the pressures of life a mere three years later. And that’s when things started to bubble and simmer more intensely than the fridge’s cooling coils ever could.
The Great Clearance Deal
Fast forward several years and Mr. Fix-It stumbles upon a jaw-dropping deal: a brand new, top-of-the-line $3500 refrigerator for an eye-popping $700. Say what? Yep, you better believe it. And being the generous, fix-it-minded son that he is, he jumps on the deal faster than you can say “ice maker,” purchasing it as a grand gesture for his folks.
Now, you’d think this would be the start of a beautiful appreciation song from his mother, right? Wrong. Instead, dear Mother Fix-It clung to her defunct fridge like it was her last lifeline on the Titanic. The gesture was met with a perplexing sadness, as though someone had thrown a wet dishrag on the whole affair. She muttered something about the old fridge being fixable – which sounds like a classic case of fantasy refrigerator syndrome if you ask me – but agreed to the new fridge nonetheless. However, the old fridge wouldn’t go gently into that good night.
The Sad Goodbye
Move-in day arrives. Mr. Fix-It proudly presents the new shining iceberg of a fridge to his mother. Yet there she was, teary-eyed and sorrowful, acting as if they had just wheeled away her prized family heirloom. Was it the tears? The stern look? Or that unmistakable air of ‘You Just No-Longer My One/True/Son’ vibe? Mr. Fix-It had had enough. He questioned her antics in a tone that perhaps echoed the frustration of someone who had just been knighted “Kitchen Hero” but without a shred of gratitude bestowed upon them.
And now the million-dollar question: Is Mr. Fix-It the asshole for calling out his mother on her inexplicable fridge-sadness?
Allow me to slip into my own personal freezer of opinions. Drumroll, please…
Roger’s Sassy Verdict
Oh, the cold, hard truth: Mr. Fix-It, you most certainly are not the asshole here. Look, I can understand sentimental attachments to things (I, for one, have a favorite sock I can never part with). But let’s call a spade a spade – or, in this case, call an inoperable hunk of metal what it is: a glorified cabinet of rotting possibilities. Props to you for upgrading not just any appliance, but the single most important kitchen device with a be-dazzling dazzling new one!
Now, let’s dissect Maternal Fix-It’s mindset: It’s possible she felt blindsided, rushed, and emotionally unprepared to part with her loyal yet non-functional kitchen companion. She’s mourning the outlet of her nostalgia rather than the object itself – a classic case of emotional displacement. But it was on Mr. Fix-It’s goodwill and wallet, for heaven’s sake!
Let’s flip the defrost switch, shall we? Imagine the joy she’ll have once she embraces the new fridge. The silky smooth glide of those shelves, the crisp freshness of her vegetables, and the icemaker’s sweet hum… Ah, the things we could love if we opened our doors to change – especially swanky new French doors!
The take-home message:
So, dear Fix-It, you are as cool as the crisp bin of that new fridge you’ve gifted your folks. A toast to you, and may your own freezes never freeze up!
Original story
OK, so it’s my mother. She had a fridge for 10+ yrs.
..
I fixed it 5 yrs ago after a power outage surge. Then it broke down again 3 yrs ago.
I couldn’t fix it and everyone told me this brand isn’t worth fixing cuz it’s an LG and it’s a pain in the ass and exoeto get fixed. So it’s sat there, meanwhile while parents used a shitty fridge in the garage that’s annoying to have to get to.
When I visit it’s a pain in the ass to cook for them and have to go back n forth. So recently I found a bargain on a $3500 fridge on clearance for $700 for them.
She was like, OK, I’ll give u the money but I declined. She mentions how it’s a good fridge and could be fixed.
I mention I can cancel it and she says no, it’s OK, but “I KNOW it can be fixed.” She seemed fine-ish with it.
Whatever. I told her they’d haul off the old one but I could cancel that, but she said no in case it messes up the order and they cancel the order or something weird.
So yesterday, it’s installed and I go get her, and she has her typical dogface and sad face, kinda like upset at me, but not saying anything. Then goes to the fridge with that mad and sad face and says, I’m so sad about the other fridge.
Has a stern look and walks away to her room.
I’m like, you’re acting like this over a refrigerator? Are u kidding me?
Instead of once saying thanks for taking care of it all, and being happy she has a working and brand new top of the line fridge, she has this look of disgust-ish, mad-ish, sad look, and it’s obviously at me..
.because of an nonworkong fkng fridge that hasn’t worked for years.
Am I the asshole for being upset at her and calling her out over this?