Some accused me since yesterday of lacking empathy toward the feelings of those whose own sensitivity is based in experiences I cannot share (something that, if you’ll recall, I fully acknowledged in the original post).
I can definitely dig it.
Today, @haireofthedog, in reference to new GOP chair Chad Connelly, made a joke (at least, I THINK it was a joke):
hmm… thinking about a title for a column: Amway Messiah.
And @PhilBaileySC seemed to think it was funny.
Not cool, said I!
Don’t joke. Once, years ago, I was trapped with an Amway salesman in my own home. Or was it Shaklee? Traumatic.
It was truly awful. This guy was a friend of mine — a coworker. He had asked to visit my home, without telling me why, and I had agreed. My wife, perhaps sensing danger, left us alone in the living room. For at least an hour, he spoke of the fact that he had come up with this great new way to make extra money, and my eyes are glazing over, thinking how on Earth it had anything to do with me, because I was totally uninterested, and wondering how much longer it would last, and murmuring vague things along the lines of “How nice for you,” when he FINALLY mentions the outfit he’s working with. Which, of course, if he had mentioned on the front end, I would have politely told him I wasn’t interested before he bothered coming to the house.
Then, he extolled the virtues of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for maybe another hour, while I sat there in a state of helpless, polite shock. I couldn’t believe it was happening. Time I would never, ever get back.
It’s been close to 30 years. But PTSD is long-lasting, they say. It made me permanently shy about EVER hearing about wonderful business opportunities of any kind (which made it easier for me to brush off all those people calling me with “franchising opportunities” after I got laid off). So don’t joke about it.
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They’re worse than Jehovah’s Witness or Mormans, at least they aren’t after money when they come knocking.
This reminds me of a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in quite some time, he started in with his religious preachings and I stopped him in mid sentence and told him that he’s welcome in my house as a friend but not as a preacher. Things were fine after that.
Shaklee shakes were kind of fun to make, though.
pyramid multilevel marketing or ponzi scheme. Ah Bernie Maddoff we miss you. 3 Card Monty anyone?
@ Joey–say that three times rilly fast after three beers, eh?
Brad,
Your kindness to indulge a friend is exceeded only by your patience. Twice that happened to me (AMWAY and some other scheme I can’t remember). Never again will I entertain a home visit unless I know what they want to discuss.
My parents ( Depression Times)esoused, “If it seems too good to be true, then it is too good to be true.” It’s helped avoid some tantalizingly enticing scams. Once,my husband and I invited the wandering Mormon missionaries in to learn what’s up with the bikes, folders and matching uniforms? After a glass of ice tea, visual aids and the Mormon theology origins, I asked ” …and people buy this?” They assured me this was reaching millions around the world.They asked for our thoughts. I thanked them for their time, knew they had to get on down the road and better let them get a move on..and my husband showed them the door. Then just before they left, they asked if there was anyone we could refer them to. Absolutely no one I knew could seriously take their story as anything but patented unmitigated schizophrenic/fantasy.We sent them on their way. Scams can be interesting, but I wouldn’t want to go there.
@virginia–so I gather you have never bailed out the widow of a prominent Nigerian politician?