Chatty buys a cookbook, but wonders what the world is coming to...
Chatty had an interesting experience the other day. She doesn’t know whether to be glad or sad. It seems that she is both.
The Wiz was on the phone, when a young guy came to the door. He told The Wiz that he was working his way through college, and was selling a cookbook.
Naturally, The Wiz turned him over to Chatty. Chatty was in her usual Arizona summer attire – a bathing suit under a sundress under an apron. As it turns out, the apron was particularly appropriate.
Chatty stood at the open door, talking to the young man with only half of her consciousness – the other half being taken up by the fact that she was conversing at an OPEN door, in 110 degree heat, and was losing sweet air-conditioning by the second.
However, Chatty listened to the young man, who was nervous, young, and very sweet.
He had a cookbook to sell (among other things, as it turned out), and Chatty felt it only fair to inform him that it would have to be a special cookbook, because she had plenty already, and that her husband was a carnivore, and she was mostly vegetarian.
The young man’s eyes lit up when Chatty said “vegetarian”.
He said: “Ma’am, this is a VEGETARIAN cookbook!”
Chatty still reels whenever someone refers to her as "Ma'am", but she recovered quickly, and was now interested.
Better yet, he went on to explain:
“This is a vegetarian cookbook for meals in 30 minutes or less!”
OK, Chatty was now hooked.
You see, Chatty often has to make TWO meals for TWO people (what with The Wiz being a committed carnivore and she a semi-committed vegetarian, and all). So, although Chatty loves to cook – being able to cook at least one of those meals in 30 minutes or less would be a very good thing. She’s just sayin’…
So, Chatty told the young man that she was interested, but that either he would have to step inside, or she would have to step outside, because an open door during negotiations was not an option.
Air-conditioned comfort versus 110 degree heat. Chatty didn’t think there would be a problem with the choice there.
The young man agreed, but said he’d have to call his supervisor first.
OK.
He pulled out a walkie-talkie and – Chatty swears – intoned into it:
“This is ****. I’m moving inside house number ****.”
Crackle crackle “Message received, ****.”
Chatty was bemused, but… whatever floats your boat.
As he stepped in and Chatty started to close the door, he cried:
“Oh! Wait! I have to leave my bag outside the door, so my supervisor will know he’s found the correct house!”
At this point, Chatty suggested that he might prefer to pitch his spiel outside.
He disagreed heartily, saying that air-conditioning would be a “blessing”.
So, inside he comes, leaving his bag outside.
Chatty is looking at the cookbook when he asks:
“Are you a Christian?”
Chatty is a bit non-plussed, because what does that have to do with buying a cookbook?
But she rallies, and says:
“Why do you ask?”
The young man says:
“Oh, because I have other excellent books if you would be interested.” It's obvious he really wants to show her some "other" books.
Chatty decides to nip this in the bud, and replies:
“I prefer to do my own reading when it comes to spiritual matters.”
The young man, to his credit, immediately replies:
“Of course.”
Chatty has by now realized what denomination has come knocking on her door promoting a vegetarian cookbook, and her guess is confirmed when she asks the young man what college or higher institute of learning he is working his way through. He tells her, and Chatty thinks that’s fine. She applauds young people who work to put themselves through school – any school.
In short, because he has been polite, has not been pushy, and has an excellent cookbook, she decides to buy it - because she understands that when it comes to paying for one’s education, every little bit helps.
Chatty gets her money out, the young man starts to write a receipt, and there’s a knock on the door.
It’s the supervisor, making sure that all is OK.
The young man assures him that all is indeed spiffing (Chatty’s word, not his – Chatty is much influenced by P.G. Wodehouse and the whole Bertie and Jeeves milieu) and the supervisor brightly asks if Chatty has been offered the “bonuses”.
The young man quickly informs the supervisor that Chatty prefers to do her own reading on inspirational topics.
The supervisor smiles, nods, and just hands Chatty a nicely bound pamphlet with an encouraging title.
Kudos to both young men for backing off!
Chatty now has a wonderful cookbook for vegetarian meals in 30 minutes or less, and she is pleased about that.
The thing she is possibly sad about is the security measures these young people feel they must take, even in Chatty’s quiet neighborhood.
She can only believe that these measures are in force because some young people in similar circumstances have had problems that now necessitate:
1. A walkie-talkie to inform one’s supervisor that one has been invited into a house.
2. Leaving one’s bag outside to identify the house one has entered.
3. A supervisor showing up within 5 minutes to check on one’s safety.
On the one hand, Chatty applauds the foresight, planning and care for safety on the part of the organization.
On the other hand, it just makes her sad that young people working their way through school even have to THINK about things like that.
The Wiz was on the phone, when a young guy came to the door. He told The Wiz that he was working his way through college, and was selling a cookbook.
Naturally, The Wiz turned him over to Chatty. Chatty was in her usual Arizona summer attire – a bathing suit under a sundress under an apron. As it turns out, the apron was particularly appropriate.
Chatty stood at the open door, talking to the young man with only half of her consciousness – the other half being taken up by the fact that she was conversing at an OPEN door, in 110 degree heat, and was losing sweet air-conditioning by the second.
However, Chatty listened to the young man, who was nervous, young, and very sweet.
He had a cookbook to sell (among other things, as it turned out), and Chatty felt it only fair to inform him that it would have to be a special cookbook, because she had plenty already, and that her husband was a carnivore, and she was mostly vegetarian.
The young man’s eyes lit up when Chatty said “vegetarian”.
He said: “Ma’am, this is a VEGETARIAN cookbook!”
Chatty still reels whenever someone refers to her as "Ma'am", but she recovered quickly, and was now interested.
Better yet, he went on to explain:
“This is a vegetarian cookbook for meals in 30 minutes or less!”
OK, Chatty was now hooked.
You see, Chatty often has to make TWO meals for TWO people (what with The Wiz being a committed carnivore and she a semi-committed vegetarian, and all). So, although Chatty loves to cook – being able to cook at least one of those meals in 30 minutes or less would be a very good thing. She’s just sayin’…
So, Chatty told the young man that she was interested, but that either he would have to step inside, or she would have to step outside, because an open door during negotiations was not an option.
Air-conditioned comfort versus 110 degree heat. Chatty didn’t think there would be a problem with the choice there.
The young man agreed, but said he’d have to call his supervisor first.
OK.
He pulled out a walkie-talkie and – Chatty swears – intoned into it:
“This is ****. I’m moving inside house number ****.”
Crackle crackle “Message received, ****.”
Chatty was bemused, but… whatever floats your boat.
As he stepped in and Chatty started to close the door, he cried:
“Oh! Wait! I have to leave my bag outside the door, so my supervisor will know he’s found the correct house!”
At this point, Chatty suggested that he might prefer to pitch his spiel outside.
He disagreed heartily, saying that air-conditioning would be a “blessing”.
So, inside he comes, leaving his bag outside.
Chatty is looking at the cookbook when he asks:
“Are you a Christian?”
Chatty is a bit non-plussed, because what does that have to do with buying a cookbook?
But she rallies, and says:
“Why do you ask?”
The young man says:
“Oh, because I have other excellent books if you would be interested.” It's obvious he really wants to show her some "other" books.
Chatty decides to nip this in the bud, and replies:
“I prefer to do my own reading when it comes to spiritual matters.”
The young man, to his credit, immediately replies:
“Of course.”
Chatty has by now realized what denomination has come knocking on her door promoting a vegetarian cookbook, and her guess is confirmed when she asks the young man what college or higher institute of learning he is working his way through. He tells her, and Chatty thinks that’s fine. She applauds young people who work to put themselves through school – any school.
In short, because he has been polite, has not been pushy, and has an excellent cookbook, she decides to buy it - because she understands that when it comes to paying for one’s education, every little bit helps.
Chatty gets her money out, the young man starts to write a receipt, and there’s a knock on the door.
It’s the supervisor, making sure that all is OK.
The young man assures him that all is indeed spiffing (Chatty’s word, not his – Chatty is much influenced by P.G. Wodehouse and the whole Bertie and Jeeves milieu) and the supervisor brightly asks if Chatty has been offered the “bonuses”.
The young man quickly informs the supervisor that Chatty prefers to do her own reading on inspirational topics.
The supervisor smiles, nods, and just hands Chatty a nicely bound pamphlet with an encouraging title.
Kudos to both young men for backing off!
Chatty now has a wonderful cookbook for vegetarian meals in 30 minutes or less, and she is pleased about that.
The thing she is possibly sad about is the security measures these young people feel they must take, even in Chatty’s quiet neighborhood.
She can only believe that these measures are in force because some young people in similar circumstances have had problems that now necessitate:
1. A walkie-talkie to inform one’s supervisor that one has been invited into a house.
2. Leaving one’s bag outside to identify the house one has entered.
3. A supervisor showing up within 5 minutes to check on one’s safety.
On the one hand, Chatty applauds the foresight, planning and care for safety on the part of the organization.
On the other hand, it just makes her sad that young people working their way through school even have to THINK about things like that.
I agree. I can remember letting a boy selling magazine subscriptions in to sit on beanbag chairs and enjoy some incense and a brief smoke on a hot summer's day before he continued on his quest. I couldn't buy any subscriptions, but I could offer some a/c and a little relaxation. Back then, it was no big deal. He didn't have to walkie talkie anyone, or leave any signals. Today, unfortunately, those precautions have to be taken, you just never know...
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Good story Chatty, and maybe you'll share some of those recipes as you try them???
When we lived deep in the woods of New Hampshire, and I mean deep, and we had a vicious meth lab up the street (we moved when we could, believe me, thank God!) one day at our BACK door, our first visitors in ten years knocked--2 Mormon missionaries. But they were young women! I was so worried about them, they were wandering around what looked like a nice and peaceful place but what had become an isolated horror story. I warned them to get away.
Anyway, I wish we lived in a world where I didn't have to move out of woods I loved because of a meth lab up the street, but I am lucky compared to most, and NO you don't often see people going door to door anymore, and it IS a shame this young guy had to carry a walkie talkie etc.
Good morning Chatty, how are you?
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Jenn is a cynic. She wonders if the supervisor wasn't going to be enlisted in a bit more of a full court press if Chatty wasn't so firm about her own beliefs.
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Oh CC- what a great story. We have a dog named Oso who weights in at about 30 lbs and hates strangers--including anyone knocking at the door--so now visitors just shout over his barking--throw whatever they might have on the porch and quickly leave, hopefully with limbs intact.
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