Donation By Guilt
As per usual at this time of year, the Salvation Army bell ringers are out in full force. Now I’ve got nothing against the Salvation Army, whatever it is they exactly do with the money, but I hate hate hate walking into a store with a bell ringer staring me down. Yesterday I was faced with that situation for the first time this season.
A short aside- while sitting in the drive-up tellers at National City Bank at the corner of Pioneer Parkway and University, who do I see pull up and get out of the car at the nearby Walgreens? None other than Billy Dennis picking up whatever blogfathers pick up at Walgreens. Of course, there is a bell-ringer at the door of Walgreens. As I’m watching Billy while waiting for my deposit receipt, I wonder if he’ll drop in some coin. They exchanged pleasantries … probably something like ‘Cold Enough For You?’ ‘Does the Salvation Army Play in Peoria?’ or ‘Does your wrist ever get tired?,’ but no donation from Billy. Now to be fair, he could’ve dropped something in as he left, but seeing how I’m only an amateur citizen journalist, I didn’t stick around to find out.
But back to my point. I don’t want to be forced to donate and I especially don’t want to be forced to donate by guilt. The Catholic Church takes care of that for me already. If I want to donate something more, I’ll donate to something of my choosing, which I do quite a bit of with both my time and money.
So how did I do on my first confrontation with a bell-ringer? I dropped fifty cents into the bucket and received a ‘Happy Holidays’ response. Argh!
November 16th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Just to set the record straight – I absolutely love the bell ringers and our kids do too. I highly admire (and sometime feel very sorry for) the people who donate their time for this very admirable task, sometimes in VERY unpleasant weather. I take an entire bag of change to put in my car at this time of year so all of our kids can drop in a handful of coins when we go to a store where a bell ringer is present. So, think of it this way…would you rather drop that fifty cents, hubby-dear, or be the person standing there for 3 hours ringing that bell and being nice to every person who comes by? Have a little compassion for the people who volunteer and donate without feeling guilty.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
FOR THE RECORD: When I cam out, I had some cash, which I donated. Thpt!
November 16th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
And I was picking up a soda, some cashews and some Chapstick. That’s what Blogfather’s get at Walgreens right before they go to work.
November 16th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Soda, cashews and chapstick? I thought a Blogfather would have gotten some whiskey and cigars. Or, at least some Doritos.
November 16th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
And by the way: STOP STALKING ME. I’m not buying the ‘waiting in line at the bank’ excuse at all ….
November 16th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
It was approximately 2:15. The bank business day ends at 2:30. Any deposits after that don’t count until the next business day. You can catch me in the drive-up teller line most work days between 2 and 2:30. That is, if you wish to stalk me!
November 16th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Ran into them at Kroger’s on Wisconsin. I went into the store through the “out” door and exited through the same door. I may drop something in the kettle later, but not this early. I don’t like the tables set up with groups selling candy bars or anything else. I donate what, when and where I want. I go to the store to shop.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
I am more likely to dive more money to someone from the VFW or the American Legion. I just cannot resist a vet asking for a donation …
November 17th, 2007 at 7:14 am
Whoa! On-line marital dissension. I feel like a voyeur!
November 17th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Sorry for the double post… My mind can’t process more than one thought at once lately…If I’m with the kids, I don’t want to set a bad example, so I will give them some coins to drop in. They really enjoy that. But if I’m by myself, I blow by so fast they don’t even have a chance to say Merr…
November 17th, 2007 at 10:52 am
OK LISTEN! Yesterday, I dropped money in those things TWICE! I am NOT a cheap b******, which is the implication here.
Grrrrrr!
November 17th, 2007 at 11:17 am
To avoid confusion for my readers, the alleged cheap b****** going under the name ‘admin’ is Billy, not I.
Diane- after my wife read my post she got a big grin on her face and wanted to make sure she was the first responder. I didn’t know she was going to take me down! And on my own blog, no less!
November 17th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
$0.50. Nice. That’s the way to put the “give” back into “giving.”
And Bill: Cashews and Chapstick. Yeah, you’d definitely need some soda to go with that.
Diane: I agree. It’s like sitting in on a marital counseling session. I can just feel the love.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
I passed my first one of the season at the Walmart in Washington earlier tonight. I didn’t see him on the way in and was halfway to my car by the time I realized a bell was ringing on the way out. I’ll drop a few bucks with a couple of them this year. Hey, everyone’s good enough for some change.
Billy — Have you tried their Pistachio’s? Two bags for five quid. *droooool*
November 17th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
My boss tends to get grumpy when I make a mess with empty pistachio shells …
And besides, these were honey-mustard-and-onion flavored cashews. It was like paradise in my mouth.
November 18th, 2007 at 12:19 am
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November 18th, 2007 at 7:30 am
“It was like paradise in my mouth.”
Thanks for the imagery, Billy.
November 18th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Did I spell that right?
November 18th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Yes.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:18 am
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November 19th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Don’t carry cash. It makes the “failure-to-donate” guilt MUCH more transitory.
November 19th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
It is my understanding that bell ringers are paid. True or false?
November 19th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Some of them are. Usually, these are they very same people who need the sort of assistance the SA provides. Other times, they are volunteers from the community. I’ve done it.
November 19th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Paid? I thought they were all volunteer.
November 20th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Update: they got me today. Oddly enough, it was on the way out of Walgreens on Prospect and War Memorial. I had just purchased cigarettes and a bag o’ pistachios.