A series of fortunate events

I cleaned out my e-mail inbox yesterday. It took me a really long time. Since going to UT, I have received no less than 3,000 potentially relevant e-mails in the past year. As someone who tends to have a short-term memory about things, I have accumulated many many e-mails, thinking that I might need them in the future. At the end of the school year, I think I accrued over 1,000 e-mails in my inbox. Most of which is irrelevant. It was interesting to scan through the old mail and see what I went through during the year.

I came across a series of exchanged e-mails which was quite amusing to me, given the ensuing circumstances. Basically what happened was there was a sign-up period for positions in a club. I hadn't signed up immediately, but I had e-mailed this guy to tell him the position that I wanted. However, the position that I wanted had already been requested (but not filled). The next e-mail that I get is telling me the positions that are available because nobody has spoken for them. I can't remember exactly what I wrote back, but I had still expressed interest in the original position that I wanted. A couple of correspondences later, I ended up getting that position.

I never thought anything about it at the time, but going through the e-mails got me thinking. Was the sign-up system on a first-come-first-serve basis? If not, people only do favours for you because:
a) he/she is a nice person
b) he/she thinks I am a nice person
c) he/she likes you

It turns out that c) would apply in this instance, as I would later find out. Should I feel bad for getting something because someone liked me (if that's what actually happened)? I kind of feel bad, but I can't help it if someone feels that way. I definitely didn't reciprocate the feelings, nor lead him on. Anyhow, food for thought.

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Sister quote: "i have a bad habit of patting children on the head like they are pets"