Ruining other people's property by accident bugs me to no end

As an individualist libertarian semi-decent human being, I respect people's right to their property. After all, I respect my right to my own property and expect others to respect it, so it would be rather hypocritical of me not to respect theirs. It bugs me to no end whenever people don't respect my right to my property.

That's probably why I beat myself up so much when I harm the property of others, even if it's by accident - as it always is - and even if the owner of said property tells me that it's fine and laughs at my anguish.

You see, I ruined my husband's knit in the wash. A wool knit. You're not supposed to put it in the washing machine. It's supposed to be hand washed.

I didn't know that you can't wash wool in the machine, and I also didn't bother to check the label. Which is inconceivable, because I always check the washing labels of my own clothes.

I mean, it's horrible! I've been trusted with the task of washing his laundry, and I go ahead and do something as negligent as this.

You could excuse this behavior by pointing out that he had put the knit into the laundry basket (the one that's specific for laundry to be machine washed) and that it was his responsibility to check the label and make sure not to put it there and, instead, inform me that this item needs to be hand washed.  

But come on, he's a guy. Guys don't check labels.

Guys also don't care if you ruin their knits - they just go and buy a new one if it happens.

So I guess I understand why he was laughing at my despair.

I offered to buy him a new one. This apparently was too much, because he started cracking up jokes about the replacement needing to be the exact one I ruined, and since I'd never find one after all these years, he could use this as a reason to sulk until the end of time and as leverage to make me do whatever he wants.

I get it, I get it. It's not that big of a deal.

But from now on, I make sure to check the labels.

RK out.