Sucker
I love the telemarkerters that call from San Francisco Ballet. They're just so nice! They seem to be genuinely interested in me, so I always end up talking to them for 10-15 minutes. And then, after all that time, I feel like I have to donate money. Yeah, I'm a sucker, but it just wouldn't be right otherwise. I wonder if they're trained in that technique...
The first time one called it was 2 days before my qualifying exams. I was kind of stressed and not too pleased to be answering the phone, but it turned into a nice little study break (one that only cost me $35). This woman was so friendly. She wanted to know what I did, and was really excited to learn that I was an ecology grad student and that I study invasive species in particular. I guess it struck a chord with her, because she went on to tell me about all her encounters with invasive species. Apparently she and her son had just taken a vacation to the Gulf of Mexico, where a lot of beaches were closed because of an invasive jellyfish explosion. She said that they were baffled as to how the jellyfish got from China to the gulf. "Did they walk? Fly? Go under the continent?" she asked. "No," I responded, "those kinds of things are typically transported in the ballast water of big ships." "Oooooooh!" Yep. I'm always happy to spread sweetness, light, and knowledge about invasive species... :)
Another one called me last spring just as I was getting ready to go hang out with the foreign grad student crowd. (Foreign grad students are the coolest. I'm now one of them, since I'm from Central Asia. And don't you dare say that's the wrong Georgia!) This one was a guy. He was very enthusiastic that I came all the way from Davis to see the San Francisco Ballet, and that I had managed that trek for four shows last year. He was especially curious about how I got there. We rhapsodized about the BART for a while... (I love the BART! I took my picture with it. :D) This guy was strange, though. Was he ever a talker! It took quite a while for me to be able to get a word in edgewise and escape to my dinner plans.
The most recent one called a few days ago. She was curious about what has kept me interested in ballet, and was thrilled to learn that I dance myself. It's just so great that I've kept that up! She's a painter, herself. I tried to escape this one. I didn't want to donate money. I just gave SF Ballet $35 last month! And she was requesting some ludicrous scheduled commitment for $1000 over the course of the next 5 years. "I'm a grad student!" I told her. Eventually I got worn down and donated $25. I felt bad about not. She'd talked to me for so long about my dancing and her painting and everything. It would have been a waste of her time otherwise! Not to mention the opportunity cost of all the other potential donors she could have been calling instead of me... It also seemed like a good time to donate more since all gifts were being matched by the Hewlett Foundation. I wish my money would magically double more often!
But yeah... I'm a sucker. Especially to those unprofessionally friendly phone volunteers of the SF Ballet. I guess it also helps that the ballet is so important to me. I have no problem telling other people no. My last roommate could never say no, so she'd just tell all the door-to-door solicitors and school children to come by some other time and talk to me, because I was meaner. They use different strategies, though. Instead of engaging me and expressing interest in me, they try to guilt trip me into supporting them. I don't respond well to guilt trips... Perhaps I'm an evil bitch, but (for example) I don't want a magazine subscription and I don't care that it will be entirely my fault if you aren't able to go to college. (Those pushy school-kids are always trying that one.)
The first time one called it was 2 days before my qualifying exams. I was kind of stressed and not too pleased to be answering the phone, but it turned into a nice little study break (one that only cost me $35). This woman was so friendly. She wanted to know what I did, and was really excited to learn that I was an ecology grad student and that I study invasive species in particular. I guess it struck a chord with her, because she went on to tell me about all her encounters with invasive species. Apparently she and her son had just taken a vacation to the Gulf of Mexico, where a lot of beaches were closed because of an invasive jellyfish explosion. She said that they were baffled as to how the jellyfish got from China to the gulf. "Did they walk? Fly? Go under the continent?" she asked. "No," I responded, "those kinds of things are typically transported in the ballast water of big ships." "Oooooooh!" Yep. I'm always happy to spread sweetness, light, and knowledge about invasive species... :)
Another one called me last spring just as I was getting ready to go hang out with the foreign grad student crowd. (Foreign grad students are the coolest. I'm now one of them, since I'm from Central Asia. And don't you dare say that's the wrong Georgia!) This one was a guy. He was very enthusiastic that I came all the way from Davis to see the San Francisco Ballet, and that I had managed that trek for four shows last year. He was especially curious about how I got there. We rhapsodized about the BART for a while... (I love the BART! I took my picture with it. :D) This guy was strange, though. Was he ever a talker! It took quite a while for me to be able to get a word in edgewise and escape to my dinner plans.
The most recent one called a few days ago. She was curious about what has kept me interested in ballet, and was thrilled to learn that I dance myself. It's just so great that I've kept that up! She's a painter, herself. I tried to escape this one. I didn't want to donate money. I just gave SF Ballet $35 last month! And she was requesting some ludicrous scheduled commitment for $1000 over the course of the next 5 years. "I'm a grad student!" I told her. Eventually I got worn down and donated $25. I felt bad about not. She'd talked to me for so long about my dancing and her painting and everything. It would have been a waste of her time otherwise! Not to mention the opportunity cost of all the other potential donors she could have been calling instead of me... It also seemed like a good time to donate more since all gifts were being matched by the Hewlett Foundation. I wish my money would magically double more often!
But yeah... I'm a sucker. Especially to those unprofessionally friendly phone volunteers of the SF Ballet. I guess it also helps that the ballet is so important to me. I have no problem telling other people no. My last roommate could never say no, so she'd just tell all the door-to-door solicitors and school children to come by some other time and talk to me, because I was meaner. They use different strategies, though. Instead of engaging me and expressing interest in me, they try to guilt trip me into supporting them. I don't respond well to guilt trips... Perhaps I'm an evil bitch, but (for example) I don't want a magazine subscription and I don't care that it will be entirely my fault if you aren't able to go to college. (Those pushy school-kids are always trying that one.)
posted by Meg at
1:37 PM
1 Comments:
Dear Meg,
I just spent all this time reading all about your dancing career and explanations about illustrative species from Asia. I'd really like to talk to you more about it. Esp. the jelly. I particularly like blackberry. In the mean time, though, could you spare a few bucks to help my FroYo habit? BTW, I care about you. Hugs! -Ben
p.s. How's your fall? ;)
By
daytoday, at October 11, 2007 9:01 AM
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