Wait a minute...I'm not sorry!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

At work today, a cow-orker (call her Betty) and I were at the registers. Betty was ringing stuff up for a man and woman who looked to be my age (31) or a bit older. I was nearby, doing something organizational.

Betty: “Here’s your card and receipt; have a great day.”

Woman: “Would either of you ladies like to come to a prayer meeting at Baptist blahblah this evening?”

Betty: “No thank you.”

Man (to me): “Are you interested?”

Me: “I’m Catholic, sorry.”

Why did I say that? I’m not sorry to not be as pushy as they are, or not to be Baptist. I shouldn’t have apologized when they were the ones out of line! What the heck made them think total strangers would be interested in their prayer meeting? I didn’t have to apologize!

And why did I say I was Catholic? What I am is a bit complicated, as it is with many people. I am a Christmas-and-Easter Catholic with a lot of doubts, who doesn’t capitalize “god”, for instance, but keeps to traditions like Lent and midnight mass on the 24th mostly out of sentiment, who also practices magick and hopes the discrepancy will work itself out at the end. I didn’t have to tell them anything about what I am.

Well, I think I know why I did that. I figured they hear a lot of people say “I’m Wiccan” (which I’m not, just a solitary practicioner) and therefore have a separate speech for that, whereas saying I was Catholic would really shut them up. But I could have shut them up just as easily by saying nothing.

Betty said afterwards that she already belongs to a church (didn’t say what denomination), and thought that proposition was odd to say the least. They tried to lay some tracts on her, but she didn’t take them. They weren’t Chick, she explained: if they had been, she would have taken them for a good laugh with her SO.

But I vow never to catch myself again saying “sorry” when someone proselytizes me.

2

I guess the problem is being too nice. I have to stop saying sorry when someone else bumps into me! In your incident, it’s “Just say no!”

3

If you don’t go to the prayer meeting, the terrorists have won.

I probably would have just said “No thanks, I’m Jewish.” Nobody will give you an argument about being Jewish, and there would be no speech necessary. I’m not really Jewish, but it would be a quick and polite way to get the lady away.

4

I do the jewish thing all the time. My paternal grandfather was, so it’s a bit of a stretch. I did it to the woman at the post office who was trying to sell me ridiculous Santa stamps instead of the plain ones.

I do something similar with the petitioners outside of stores. I do a lot of my shopping in Berkeley, and they are everywhere. They ask you if you’re registered to vote, and if you say no, they offer to register you, if you say yes, they pester you to sign their ridiculous petition. I say I’m Canadian, shuts 'em up immediately.

5

Dagnabbit! I thought I had checked the “email notification” option!

Anyway, after telling this to Mr. Rilch and Friend, I realized that I had merely been stuck in Customer Service mode. “No, we don’t have that book; sorry.” “Your card’s being declined; sorry.” “There’s no Starbucks in the mall; sorry.”

slackergirl and Palve: That was the net result of my saying “Catholic”. No one’s going to argue with that one either.

6

Palve sez:

<< If you don’t go to the prayer meeting, the terrorists have won. >>

You don’t know how long I laughed at this line. Of course it’s not aimed at the tragedy, but at Bush…and the media. Seeing it here, as a pat answer, just cracked me up.

Jet Black

7

[sub]well, it may also have been a response to my sig[/sub]

8

I agree with Violet, it’s just the force of habit of having good manners. It is a bit annoying sometimes, like after a cop writes you a speeding ticket, and you tell him “Thank you.”

9

Come to your prayer meeting? Why sure! Sounds like tons of fun. I know! Afterwards we can all go to my house for coffee and demon worship!

10

Ah, no need to get all un-American about it.

“I’m a convicted felon” works even better.

11

Well, this ties into those pesky house visits by the Jehovah Witness groups. They come TO YOUR HOUSE, knock, or ring the doorbell. Get you up out of bed, or whatever, and begin a run-on-sentence before you can say “NO!”.

I often let them run, at length…waiting for a pause to politely say, “sorry, no thanks”.

But why am I sorry for them coming TO MY HOUSE? Perhaps if I had opened the door, then slammed it in their faces, then, I guess I could say, “sorry”.

I have to work faster on that trap door. I have no problem yelling “sorrryyy” down a dark shaft filled with hunger aligators.

Oops…sorry to hi-jack this thread.

Jet Black

12

Did I really type this? << “hunger aligators” >>

Gah, I’m drunk, or something…let’s make that HUNGRY ALLIGATORS.

Jet Black