Scene: Anne is home alone, mid-day, mid-week. Doorbell rings. Two high-school-ish aged folks are standing on the doorstep. Well, actually, the girl was on the doorstep, and the guy was, like, 10 feet behind her on the sidewalk.
Anne: Yes?
Girl: Oh, you must be the busy mom!
Anne (already not warming up to this conversation): Um, no… I live here with roommates.
Girl: Oh. Well, I’m [name] and this is my vicious bodyguard, [name]. We’re doing a survey on all families in the area with elementary school-aged children.
Anne: Well, uh… we don’t have any.
Girl: So you guys are college students, huh?
Anne (argh!): Nope, we’re college grads.
Girl: …Oh… cool.
Girl proceeds to ask Anne if she knows which houses in the neighborhood have kids. Anne attempts to be kind and help her out.
Girl: Well, thanks. And one more thing – would you mind if I got some water from you? [Girl presents her near-empty water bottle to Anne].
Anne: O…kay, just a sec.
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Thanks for letting me share, blogworld. I thought that was a strange encounter… and I can’t quite figure out how to convey the extreme awkwardness of this situation. It was weird.
Oh, wow. I hate it when strangers try to be familiar with me (using my first name on the phone, assuming things by my looks, etc.), usually for manipulative purposes. It sounds like you handled it well, though — and you know what they say about a cup of cold water…
By: janamom on June 30, 2009
at 12:35 pm
She stopped here a few minutes ago! As soon as she said “bodyguard” I thought about your blog and knew kinda who she was. I was holding my crazy-excited dog in my arms and she authoritatively said, “Can I pet him so he calms down?” Uh yeah, but it’s not gonna make him any calmer. Trust me.
She’s coming back on Monday. I had no idea she was a salesperson until it was too late. And unfortunately for the Moreheads, I couldn’t find my phone until their door was already open. Geez louise.
By: RT on July 10, 2009
at 9:27 pm
I found your blog by typing in “you must be the busy mom?” This is the third time someone has come to the door with that line. Once when we lived in Florida and now twice in Arizona. The first time the girl said she was a college exchange student from Estonia. The second, (different girl) said she was from England, but had a different accent. The third was this morning and was a guy. They all start with the same opening line and are all well practiced in pressure selling. I keep wondering if they are in some kind of book-selling slave ring.
By: Shannon on November 5, 2009
at 11:25 am