The other day Jesse and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: A Dumb Movie. He found someone's license on the sidewalk and went to stand on the corner while they came back to get it. I went out to stand with him after I got our tickets and there was a Greenpeace man asking for donations. I don't feel nice brushing people off, and I also don't mind donating to a good cause, so I let him strike up a conversation with me. He told me all about Greenpeace and what their current push was for and then he asked me to donate. I told him I would talk to my husband before donating, he rebutted with how cheap donating to Greenpeace could be: Just $15 a month! I told him that I would still talk to my husband before donating and he came back with, "You can't spend $15 a month without talking to your husband?"
I was a bit taken aback. Was he seriously trying to goad me into donating? Or was he trying to get a lively debate going, where I come back with "No, but I'm not going to give you, some lone man on a street corner, my debit card number and set up an automatic withdrawl to my account totaling $180 a year without talking to my husband" and then he would say "But it's for a good cause! And I'm wearing a plastic yellow vest with reflective stripes!" and I would say, "Aren't you supposed to shun plastic?" and he would say "Touche! Fine, go talk to your husband"?
What ended up happening was I came back with a frosty reply, he backed off, I took two steps over to my husband and gave him a "Did you just hear that" look, and he gave me a "I knew you were totally going to let that Greenpeace guy talk to you" look. Then the Greenpeace guy saw me hold Jesse's hand and he decided to change corners.
Just wanted to let you know, Greenpeace man, that I wasn't planning on donating, since I don't really agree with your organization's methods, but now I'm not even going to pull up your website to see if my opinion can be swayed. Honey rather than vinegar, Mr. Wheat grass lover--especially when you're asking someone for money.
3 comments:
This was funny to me. Especially the part where you said you don't feel nice brushing people off, because it made me think how I used to feel that way, but over the years I've started to focus my thoughts on how I don't want to waste my time and energy talking to people about things I have no interest in.
Though I have to say I usually have the ability to keep swiftly moving past these people as I give a dismissing word/gesture while they ask if they can "ask me a quick question."
So, if you were stuck right next to him on a corner for awhile I can see how that would be a little more difficult.
Also, please tell, what was the frosty reply you gave?
I believe it was something along the lines of "I can. But we have a relationship that involves communication."
Maybe not as frosty as it was crusty.
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