A few weeks ago, two smiling men in faded suits with pamphlets in their pockets came to my door. In the past 25 years, whenever these folks have shown up, I have politely turned them away, always feeling a little badly about it. But on this particular day I was feeling neighborly and kind, so I sucked it up and had a chat--they were just trying to do what they thought they were supposed to do, right? What's so bad about that? The least I could do was honor their humanity and be nice. I showed them the little lamb we had in the mudroom. They told me about scary drug parties where kids grab handfuls of pills out of fishbowls. Then gave me a little leaflet and went on their merry way.
Good for me, I thought. I AM a good neighbor. (Plus, I do love to chat).
Well. . . . (scary music here) yesterday they came back. Of course. Doi.
Their car looked just like the car of one of my egg customers, so I ran to the door "Hooray! Egg customers!" There stood my new friends, carrying all their good intentions in a little book with illustrations from the 50's and promises of a wonderful life. Now I see the major flaw in my nice little kindness plan. How I hadn't realized this before is beyond me. I had inadvertently allowed them into my bubble.
my pretty bubble
Last night a friend said "I never let anyone in my bubble: they might fart in there." After a good laugh, I realized that's exactly what happened with my visitors. A big cloud of stinky gas in my nice, shiny bubble.
I told the guys that I was on my way out the door (I was) and I didn't have time to talk (I didn't). Then they said they were coming back next Friday, and promised they would come back a LOT over the summer because surely I would be home more as school was letting out. I wished them luck with that one and bid them goodbye. Then I spent the next 5 hours beating myself up and composing the speech that I'll have to give when they come back yet again. It goes something like: "Stop coming over here! This is creepy! Go away!" I'll have to work on the speech a little bit more.
As I sit here spraying lavender air freshener around my bubble, I see quite clearly now that my good intentions were spectacularly misguided. Of COURSE by allowing them to perform their mission on me I was inviting them back. How did I not see this the first time! A wonderful life lesson for me in every way.
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Very witty and funny, Beck! I chuckled as I read, as I have also let people into my own "bubble." Love the air freshener part... Hysterical!
ReplyDeleteI have made the same mistake and found it difficult to assert myself because I didn't want to "offend" anyone. Finally I just told the visitors that they were no longer welcome to come to the house and that my mind would not be swayed. I told them I commended their dedication but essentially that it was being wasted at my address. Not sure I handled that the best...
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