runlikejoy

Displaced Stay At Home Californian in rural N. Carolina

The Many Faces of Joy

The Many Faces of Joy

Monday, May 7, 2012

Idle Hands

Last week my friend Elisa and I had an opportunity to go and make phone calls to voters and ask for their support on a measure that will be on the ballot in June.  It is one of those things that means you will pay more taxes and that tax money is supposed to help schools.  I know it sounds like a load of crap especially since these types of things happen all the time and yet the public schools get worse and worse but I felt it was important since one of my children goes to public school, to support the measure and do my part.

We were given a packet with a script and a cell phone.  We were given a list of people to call and steps to take once we had made contact and actually spoken with these people.  Given my experience with making phone calls, I realized that we would be cold calling these folks and it would be at dinner/bath/bed time and they most likely would not like to talk to us.

I got many many answering machines.  I also got a woman that said it was bath time and didn't I have anything better to do.  I got someone who said they didn't speak English, in English.  I got an elderly lady (the voter info said she was 96) who was hard of hearing and I don't think she ever figured out what I was calling about.  I got a man who said that he was getting ready for soccer and couldn't talk right now.  I got a woman who said she was getting a massage and couldn't talk.  I got a lady who said that whatever we were selling she was not interesting, (yes she said interesting).  I got a man who said that the man I was asking for was not there and I heard someone shout out in the background, "You are a liar!"  I only got one lady who wanted to talk at length about the deplorable state of our public schools and how she used to be a teacher and how she wanted to vote for anything that improved our schools regardless as to how much it cost or how it impacted her taxes.  She was refreshing and seemed somewhat naive.

And then I looked over at my friend Elisa, sitting on the floor making her own calls and I realized that I was holding a pre-paid cell phone with an un-recognizable number and I was done with all my calls.  I decided in an instant that this would be a great time to prank call her husband on the phone and use my best "Francine" voice which is a cross between South Carolina and Texas and see if I could sell him some beads or dancing lessons.  After all, he would have no idea who I was and I could use a laugh.  Lucky for her husband he didn't answer his home phone the three times I called or his cell phone.  Lucky for the phone bank it was time to shut down for the night too because I was mentally running through a list of friends and family I could call and yank their chains.

It turns out the old saying is true, idle hands truly are Joy's playground.

2 comments:

Conchita said...

Funny, hahahaha... Did you try to call me? Because I never pick up the phone when its a unknown number...hahahaha...

Noctivagus the Blog said...

Funny. Although I wouldn't equate you to the Devil. ;)