Missionaries, Telemarketers and the Homeless.

While I'm waiting for all of the pictures on my camera to upload to the computer I'm going to touch base on a couple of subjects that are normall taboo, but since moving here have been on my mind alot.

The first is Missionaries. Since living here we've been visited by Jehovah's witnesses twice and members from the LDS church once. Now I'm telling you this because I have some pretty strong feelings about this. I don't mind them coming to my door to proselytize. Honestly I don't. I respect them for what they are doing and commend them for trying to bring more people into the faith of Jesus Christ. Honestly, I'm not sure that I could stand to walk around and do what they do with all the rejection they must recieve. Especially from those that are somewhat less friendly. What I do seem to have issues with however, is saying no to them. Even though I'm very happy with my particular religion and have no intent to convert to anything else. I enjoy hearing my doorbell ring it gives me a break up in my day and fresh faces to talk to. (We've moved so many times I don't have many friends that are local yet...) However I also dread it because I know I'm going to have to say no to them. I never know how to do it. EVER. To make matters worse - I've never seen an unfriendly missionary. (I think it would defeat the purpose.) So they always want to chat, and being the polite little lady that I am I don't like to interrupt their schpeil. Especially members of the LDS church once they find out that I have a HUGE mormon family. This last group to visit me in fact claims an aquaintance with one of my cousins. Go figure right???? While I appreciate them chatting with me and such it only makes it harder to tell them that I'm not interested. I want to be nice to them when all they've done is make an effort to save my soul. I prefer to think I have already been saved. However them being complete strangers when they ring my doorbell kind of keeps them from knowing that information. Maybe thats the solution. Put a big ol' sign up that says "Thank you, but I've already been saved"....

The next subject is telemarketers. I have strong feelings about this as well. However, not quite as positive as my views on missionaries. We had our internet, tv and phone connected to the verizon FIOS (sorry, I had to put that in, they have it emblazoned EVERYWHERE) system yesterday. Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds after our phone was connected we had a telemarketing call. *alright, I made up the thirty-seven seconds part* but seriously, it was just as he was telling us he had just connected the phone and to check for a dail tone. It scared the bujeezus out of me. Now, I know they are only trying to earn a paycheck and bring home the bacon and what-not. That part I can handle. The part I have a difficult time dealing with is half the time I don't understand them. They either do not have a good enough grasp on the English language to be dealing with people in a customer relations bit, or they mumble or the last lady sat there and coughed the whole time "we'd *cough cough* like to *cough cough* offer you *cough cough* a lower mortgage rate *cough cough*. NO exaggeration. Those calls are much easier to say no than people selling the Lord. If you want me to buy something from you SPEAK CLEARLY!!!!! The last person that did scored $20 for the VA State Police Association.

The next subject is the Homeless. I have a hard time with this one too. All I want to do is give them money or food to help them out because I have such a hard time seeing people suffer. But then I'm torn because I know a large portion of the time they are just going to blow it on booze. So would it be polite to ask them "are you going to buy food and possibly shelter with this, or are you going to drink it???" Then my other issue is if they are capable of dodging in and out of traffic to beg for money shouldn't they be able to get a job??? Especially here in DC. People are vicious. Seems to me if you can dodge this traffic you must surely be able to get some kind of job. Like an acrobat in a freakin circus. May not pay well but at least they put a roof over your head!