ding dong
Hmm. That’s weird. I thought, as I left the Baby splashing happily in the bathtub. I was waiting on his physical therapist but, after years of working together, she usually just barges in.
knock knock knock
We have a video doorbell, but I sure didn’t in 2002. The house I grew up in still doesn’t have one. My current door also doesn’t have a peephole so, for this month, I’m throwing caution to the wind.
I pulled open the door to find a young man, about my height with a shock of bleach blonde hair. He was wearing a polo with some logo. He launched into his spiel right away, “Hi, ma’am. My name is Justin and I’m with Squeaky Clean Cleaning Co. We’re opening up a location in your neighborhood and I’m out here tooo…..”
My attention to his sales pitch wanted as I noticed the neon yellow bottle of floor cleaner in his hand, the kind that reeks of fake lemons, an aroma that hangs in the air long after the floor has dried.
I interrupted him. “I’m sorry. I’m not interested. I’m actually giving my son a bath so I have to go.”
“Oh, are you sure? It’s free!” he proffered the bottle to me.
Before I’d even finished telling him I was sure, he turned and ran–RAN–across my yard. Where to? I have no idea.
I shut the door and rolled my eyes.
In the intervening seconds between opening the door to an unknown person and figuring out what their intentions are, I can almost feel my brain whirring. The primitive part of my brain that wants to sort new stimuli into boxes is processing all of this input. Polo shirt with logo. Cleaning solution. Smile. Is he here to sell to me, convert me, ask me to vote, or hurt me? It feels almost primal-looking for the proverbial big pointy teeth and relaxing when I realize Oh, he’s just a salesman.
I don’t like pushy sales people so I try not to open the door to them if I can help it. Ditto with people trying to convert me too.
It’s not all bad though. Last year, I opened the door and found myself face to face with a school board candidate. I got to express to her directly some of my concerns about special education in the district. We talked for fifteen minutes and she earned my vote.
Come September 1st, will I go back to ocassionally using the app on my phone for the doorbell? Probably sometimes.
But sometimes, I will tempt fate and throw open the door, just to see who or what awaits me just outside my door.
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