Ask away (I mean, away from here)

Living and working where I do, I get asked a lot. I get asked if I can spare some change, but I also get asked to save the children, put the Democrats back in power, help school bands, put candidates on ballots, try our new smoothies, and whether I have a few minutes for the environment. On an average work-to-home walk, I'll get asked for my money or my time or both 3-4 times. That doesn't seem like much, but it adds up.

In spite of the need and/or enthusiasm of the askers, I say the same thing to everyone: "Sorry." I've always had a hard time with the hard sell, and to make it easier on myself, I just say no to everyone. I've probably turned down some really great deals because of my all-no-all-the-time policy, but it's the easiest way to separate the scammers from the honest and the wackos from the righteous: don't.

You can get the sense (especially from some of the young campaigning idealist clipboard-holders) that they're getting disillusioned; that they're starting to see the world as cold and unfeeling. "Why don't you CARE?!" is the subtext when they yell, "Okay! Have a nice day!" to the back of my head. And I just want to take them on a little tour of my day, show them the sheer volume of people who just want a minute or two or five of my time or just a little change. It gets to a point where you've seen the same people asking the same questions in the same places over and over that you just start putting it out of your life entirely. "See?", I would tell them. "There's so many of you that it's infinitely easier to block you all out than ever try to make a decision as to which of you is worth talking to."

But that might dampen the enthusiasm if they're campaigners, or bitter if they're asking for money, and I don't want that. I just want them to understand why I don't talk, give, stop or slow down.