Another interesting "quality"

I was talking to a good friend today and during the course of the conversation, she told me I was, of all things, a push-over. Now, before you get the idea that I am totally shocked by this piece of searing insight on my personality, let me warn you that there is still a bit of residual sarcasm lurking in my muddled brain.

FYI: If you want to know more about this bout of mine with sarcasm, let me just say that besides these little insights into my person, I usually leave a conversation with her having a renewed appetite for that "less than civil quality" I mentioned in my last post.

So yes, to be more blunt than I prefer at this time, I was not at all surprised by her observation. I know all too well how completely spineless I can be!! Take the example of the telemarketer...

I have never been able to say "no, I am annoyed that you want me to make a decision so unimportant and meaningless to my life and feel guilty for simply wanting to cut you off!" Instead, I sit there and actually listen to what they say! What is the matter with me!? The other day, it was a the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters looking for people to pledge donations. I sat and listened to that guy pitch it to me and told him I couldn't afford it (score one for me!).

"Oh, yes I understand, and that is why we think 20 dollars is all you need to give to support the essential public services we offer. Could you do that?"

Somehow he muddled me into thinking I could get a mailing which would give more info on those "essential public services" he mentioned.

"Ok, that's great, I'll transfer you over to my book-keeper and she can set you up with that! Just be sure to get the check in the mail by July 6th"

*click* (my mind does a summersault)

"Hi, is this Mark?

Yes. (bad answer, mark!)

"Ok, what is your mailing address?"

So I gave her my address (bad llama!)

"And we ask that you make sure your check is in the mail by the 6th."

Um, you understand, though, that I may not be sending anything. Will that have anything to do with it? (hmmm, good question mark!)

"Did you agree to pledge 20 dollars?"

Not if I don't have more information. (ok mark, not bad)

*exasperation* "Well then we can't send you the mailing."

I am also exasperated at this point. She went on finally:

"Would you be able to make a decision better if you had the mailing?"

Yes. (hmmm...sorry mark, bad answer!)

"Well, then we will get that to you soon....." Something more about mailing a check by the 6th, etc.

So the 6th has finally arrived and there is no check in the mail! I did receive the mailing, checked it out and came away with some major red flags. I somehow didn't think "Statewide educational seminars to assist fire fighters and paramedics with legislative issues, local governmental affairs, labor relations" et al were "essential public services." No offense, but that sounds a bit like a propaganda machine.

Some may think that I was not necessarily a push-over because I didn't really understand what this whole thing was all about. But just think of the trouble I could have avoided by suppressing those idiotic impulses to try to understand!

Be assured that I can provide one or two more egregious examples of my spinelessness. But for reasons of respectability among my peers I think I'd better keep them to myself. In hindsight, its not every day someone gets to frustrate a telemarketer's book-keeper.